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THE    MILITARY    NOVEL    SUPPRESSED 
BY  THE  GERMAN    GOVERNMENT 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON   TOWN 


LIFE  IN  A 
GARRISON  TOWN 

THE  MILITARY  NOVEL  SUPPRESSED 
BY  THE  GERMAN  GOVERNMENT 

By  LIEUTENANT  BILSE 


«AUS   EINER    KLEINEN    GARNISON " 

WITH    AN    INTRODUCTION    BY 

ARNOLD    WHITE.     A    SUMMARY    OF 

THE  COURT-MARTIAL 


LONDON  :  JOHN  LANE,  THE  BODLEY  HEAD 
NEW  YORK  :  JOHN  LANE  COMPANY.  MCMXIV 


Copyright   in  the  U.S.A.  by  John  Lane,  1904. 


%1^  ^ 


NINTH    AND    POPULAR    EDITION. 

This  hooh  was  originally  pnhlished  by  Richard  Sattler, 
Brtmswick,  Germany,  1903.  H err  Sattler  also  publishes 
"  Was  lehrt  der  Fall  Bilsej"  by  C,  von  Barr, 


THE  ANCHOR  PRESs;  ttt>.,   TIPTREE,  ESSEX. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introduction vii 

Chapter       I i 

Chapter     II  .        .        .        .        .        .28 

Chapter    III 79 

Chapter     IV 128 

Chapter      V 189 

Chapter    VI 236 

Chapter  VII 248 

Chapter  VIII 267 

Appendix 273 


2t>3y02 


INTRODUCTION 


AT  the  beginning  of  the  last  century 
Prussia  received  a  lesson  and  a 
chastisement  from  France.  Profit- 
ing by  experience,  she  reorganised 
her  system  of  education,  her  civil  service, 
and  her  army.  In  due  time  she  became  a 
great  Power  by  obedience  to  the  teachings 
of  Stein,  Hardenberg,  and  von  Scharnhorst. 
Compulsory  military  service,  combined  with 
compulsory  education,  brought  Prussia,  by 
slow  and  imperceptible  degrees,  to  so  high 
a  standard  of  intellectual  and  moral  develop- 
ment, that  by  1871  the  German  nation  had 
become  the  most  enhghtened  and  the  most 
disciplined  in  Europe,  having  attained  at 
a  single  stroke  the  highest  place  among 
the  Continental  Powers.  For  two  decades 
after  the  victory  of  Sedan  no  one  dreamed 
of  disputing  the  place  which  Germany  had 
won  for  herself  among  the  armed  nations 
of  the  world  ;  but  prosperity  and  the  riches 
which  rewarded  a  century  of  self-denial 
slowly  worked  subtle  changes  in  the  social  \ 
system  of  the  German  people.  Indulgence 
vii 


INTRODUCTION 


in  luxury,  inseparable  from  commercial  success 
soon  began  to  taint  the  army  itself — a 
miracle  of  organisation  and  efficiency  as  a 
man-slaying  machine  when  controlled  by  von 
Moltke  and  von  Roon.  When  the  Emperor 
Wilham  11.  came  to  the  throne  in  1888 
he  brought  to  the  execution  of  his  difficult 
task  rare  quahties  of  intellect,  imagination 
and  wiU.  The  rigid  discipline  imposed  on 
the  army  by  his  ancestors  was  maintained 
with  a  rigour  unknown  in  England,  and 
repugnant  to  democracy  everywhere.  The 
division  of  the  German  nation  into  two  castes 
— those  in  the  service  of  the  Emperor  and 
private  citizens — became  absolute.  The  officer 
caste  enjoyed  privileges  and  social  distinction 
denied  to  the  civihan  population,  and  thereby 
are  partly  remunerated  for  iron  discipline 
and  for  scanty  pay.  Within  the  last  ten 
years  a  large  number  of  the  officers  of  the 
German  army,  most  of  whom  are  poor  men, 
have  contracted  debts  on  a  scale  which,  in 
the  opinion  of  military  students  of  other 
nations,  already  impairs  the  efficiency  of  the 
army. 

More    than    a    generation    has    passed    since 
the    conquering    German    legions    returned    to 
their    own    firesides    elated    with    the    success 
viii 


INTRODUCTION 


they  had  won  in  the  stricken  field.  Is  the 
German  army  to-day  of  the  same  quaUty  as 
that  which  passed  from  victory  to  victory  on 
the  soil  of  France  ? 

The  answer  to  this  question  is  contained 
in  Lieutenant  Bilse's  book,  which  is  here 
translated  with  consummate  skill  for  the 
benefit  of  Enghsh  readers.  Its  publication 
in  Germany  was  punished  by  arrest,  a  court- 
martial,  and  the  imprisonment  of  its  author 
for  six  months  and  his  expulsion  from  the 
German  army.  It  is  impossible  to  exaggerate 
the  sensation  that  has  been  caused  by  this 
book  in  Germany,  while  in  Austria  and  France, 
where  it  has  been  published,  and  is  known  to 
the  General  Staff,  revelations  of  degeneracy  in 
the  "  invincible "  German  army  have  aroused 
the  keenest  interest. 

When  Lieutenant  Bilse  was  consigned  to 
prison  the  attention  of  the  whole  world  was 
attracted  to  his  book,  because  the  public  were 
convinced  that,  if  the  book  had  been  in  the 
main  untrue,  the  chiefs  of  the  German  army 
would  never  have  condescended  to  raise  the 
storm  that  followed  the  conviction  of  its  author. 

The  cruel  truth  of  this  book  is  both  its 
merit  and  its  demerit,  for  the  author,  with 
striking  audacity,  has  exposed  the  cr3dng  evils 

ix 


INTRODUCTION 


of  which  he  was  a  witness,  and  unconsciously 
— as  he  testifies  in  the  court-martial — so  faith- 
fully Hmned  the  characters  of  his  associates 
and  superiors  that  each  was  promptly  recog- 
nised in  the  hving  counterpart.  The  officers 
who  unknowingly  sat  as  models  for  Lieutenant 
Bilse's  gallery  of  portraits  have  themselves 
paid  the  penalty  for  the  cruelties,  cor- 
ruption and  debauchery  described  in  his 
disclosures.  They  have  been  retired  from  the 
service,  and  this  action  on  the  part  of  the 
authorities  is  a  demonstration  of  the  truth 
of  Lieutenant  Bilse's  indictment  of  the  military 
system  and  of  the  existence  of  the  evils  he 
has  described. 

Lieutenant  Bilse's  obvious  aim  is  to 
expose  the  deterioration  of  the  military 
system.  It  is  true  that  he  deals  only  with  a 
Httle  frontier  garrison,  where  the  monotony 
of  a  daily  routine  consumes  only  a  fraction 
of  the  energies  and  a  part  of  the  time  of  the 
garrison,  while  cruelty  and  debauchery  are 
the  inevitable  fruits  of  idleness  and  formahsm. 
The  great  sociaHst  party  in  Germany,  and 
the  thoughtful  men  of  all  parties  who  are 
not  enamoured  of  Bismarckian  militarism, 
acknowledge  that  the  pubhcation  of  this 
book  in  Germany  is  marked  by  an  audacity 


INTRODUCTION 


of  courage  deserving  the  gratitude  of  the 
nation.  A  mere  subaltern,  this  German 
David  has  laid  violent  hands  on  the  Goliath 
of  the  army  system  idoHsed  by  German 
bureaucracy,  womankind,  and  the  Press. 
The  idol  is  found  to  have  feet  of  clay.  The 
youth  and  the  audacity  of  Lieutenant  Bilse 
have  procured  for  him  the  sobriquet  of  the 
enfant  terrible  of  the  German  army.  He 
has  blurted  out  the  naked  truth,  with  conse- 
quences it  is  impossible  to  foresee.  The 
Kaiser  is  a  man  who  knows  how  to  take 
occasion  by  the  hand,  who  faces  facts  and 
shuns  self-deception  with  a  courage  and 
clear-sightedness  that  were  not  character- 
istic of  all  his  predecessors.  The  Kaiser, 
moreover,  as  the  present  writer  can  testify 
from  personal  knowledge,  is  the  greatest 
apostle  of  efficiency  on  the  European  Con- 
tinent. He  knows  that  the  divorce  of 
military  despotism  from  efficiency  is  the 
forerunner  of  miUtary  collapse  and  Imperial 
wreck.  It  is,  therefore,  certain  that  Lieutenant 
Bilse 's  revelations  will,  so  far  as  the  Kaiser 
can  control  events,  be  the  cause  of  far-reach- 
ing changes  in  the  administrations  of  the 
German  army.  The  Kaiser,  however,  con- 
firmed the  verdict. 


INTRODUCTION 


The  life  history  of  Lieutenant  Oswald 
Fritz  Bilse  does  not  differ  from  that  of  tens 
of  thousands  of  his  late  brother-officers.  He 
was  born  in  Kim,  on  the  River  Nahe,  a 
branch  of  the  Rhine,  on  March  31st,  1878. 
His  father  is  headmaster  of  a  school  in 
Thiiringen,  where  his  son  was  educated  until 
the  time  came  for  his  transfer  to  the  gym- 
nasium at  Eisenach.  In  1896  he  expressed 
a  desire  to  enter  the  army,  as  he  had  formed 
a  taste  for  military  Hfe.  Two  years  later  Bilse 
was  appointed  Lieutenant.  From  Cassel, 
where  he  was  first  stationed,  he  was  sent  to 
Forbach,  which  is  the  little  garrison  he  has 
immortalised  in  his  novel.  In  Forbach 
Lieutenant  Bilse  seems  to  have  been  left 
much  to  his  own  resources,  and  here  his 
most  intimate  friend  was  Captain  Bandel, 
the  Captain  Konig  of  the  novel.  Although 
Bilse  entered  on  a  military  career  with  bright 
confidence  and  the  high  hopes  of  youth, 
disillusion  soon  followed  the  experiences  of 
his  soldier  life.  In  1903,  having  completed 
his  novel,  he  sent  in  his  resignation  just 
before  its  publication.  Being  a  young  man 
of  talent  and  active  mind,  he  then  decided  to 
study  painting  at  the  Beaux- Arts  in  Berlin. 
It   was   rumoured   that    he   had   to   leave   the 

xii 


INTRODUCTION 


army  because  of  his  debts,  but  that  was  not 
true,  for  the  charges  of  extravagance  brought 
against  him  were  dispelled  by  the  facts  of 
the  case.  He  is  a  lover  of  books,  with  an 
artistic  temperament  and  the  modern  taste 
for  old  furniture.  Like  all  young  soldiers,  he 
was  sometimes  inclined  to  rebel  against  the 
iron  discipline  to  which  he  was  subjected. 
Several  records  of  small  punishments  appear 
against  his  name  in  the  regimental  books. 
Short  arrests — on  one  occasion  for  a  dis- 
respectful reply  to  a  superior  officer,  and  at 
another  time  for  spending  six  weeks  in 
London  without  leave — are  the  black  marks 
against  his  name  in  a  report  signed  by  Major 
Fuchs,  his  commanding  officer,  with  whom 
he  was  no  favourite,  and  whom  he  has  called 
in  the  novel  Colonel  Kronau.  Bilse  is  des- 
cribed by  his  Colonel  as  pretentious,  and 
with  a  taste  for  extravagance  unbefitting 
his  rank.  Colonel  Kronau,  however,  admits 
that  with  all  his  defects  Bilse  is  a  good, 
active  and  intelligent  officer. 

Had  the  Lieutenant's  resignation  been 
accepted  before  the  book  appeared,  the 
authorities  would  have  been  powerless  against 
him.  But  as  he  was  still  on  the  books  of  the 
army,  he  was  arrested  for  disobe3dng  the 
xiii 


INTRODUCTION 


stringent  military  order  that  no  officer  is 
permitted  to  publish  any  work  without  the 
consent  of  the  authorities,  and  further,  that 
he  had  infringed  military  discipline  by  libelUng 
his  superiors  and  comrades. 

In  due  time  he  was  brought  up  for  trial  by 
court-martial,  which  lasted  from  the  9th  to 
the  nth  November,  1903.  A  lad  of  twenty- 
five  was  confronted  by  all  the  forces  of  the 
Imperial  Government  for  describing  in  his 
book  the  sordid  debauchery  and  senseless 
tyranny  of  garrison  life  in  the  provinces. 
The  importance  of  the  trial  arose  from  the 
fact  that  the  military  life  of  Forbach  differed 
in  no  way  from  innumerable  other  small 
towns  of  the  same  kind.  The  isolated  Ufe 
of  military  detachments  is  apt  to  produce 
deterioration,  not  only  in  Germany,  but  in 
othei  countries.  In  the  British  army,  for 
example,  the  tone  of  the  isolated  garrisons, 
as  in  St.  Helena  and  other  coaling-stations, 
is  absolutely  dependent  upon  the  good  sense 
and  high  principle  of  the  commanding  officer. 
The  Boer  War  and  the  subsequent  Royal 
Commission  revealed  enough  to  show  that  it 
is  unwise  for  critics  who  live  in  the  English 
glass-house  to  throw  stones  at  their  German 
neighbours. 

xiv 


INTRODUCTION 


Bilse's  defence  was  that  his  novel  was 
only  a  work  of  imagination.  He  contended 
that  he  had  simply  tried  to  describe  definite 
existing  evils  of  military  life,  without  having 
any  intention  of  being  personal  in  any  of  his 
descriptions  of  officers  at  Forbach,  and  that 
he  had  only  made  use  of  his  undoubted  right 
as  an  author  to  describe  such  events  as  came 
under  his  notice  and  such  traits  as  helped 
him  in  the  delineation  of  his  characters.  He 
further  stated  that  if  he  had  written  anything 
that  was  Hbellous  he  was  innocent  of  intent, 
and  that,  although  he  had  written  his  book 
while  still  in  the  army,  he  had  sent  in  his 
resignation  before  its  pubHcation. 

Within  recent  years  the  description  of 
military  Hfe  had  inspired  the  genius  of  many 
of  the  most  powerful  writers  in  Germany. 
The  subject,  indeed,  had  actually  created  a 
school  of  dramatists  and  novelists,  and  the 
result  had  been  a  large  addition  both  to  the 
drama  and  to  Hterature.  The  difference 
between  the  book  of  Lieutenant  Bilse  and 
those  of  other  German  writers  is  that,  while 
their  works  were  the  product  of  imagination, 
Germany  was  thrilled  throughout  by  this 
book  because  the  melancholy  and  sordid 
facts  recorded  therein  were  narrated  by  a  man 

XV 


INTRODUCTION 


who  had  Hved  his  Hfe  in  the  atmosphere  he 
described,  and  who  was  himself  an  actor  in 
a  tragedy  the  like  of  which  exists  in  every 
German  military  station. 

It  is  impossible  for  Englishmen  to  grasp 
the  immense  effect  of  Lieutenant  Bilse's 
book,  because  compulsory  military  service 
renders  every  youth  and  every  parent  in 
Germany  personally  and  directly  interested 
in  the  facts  related  by  Bilse.  The  know- 
ledge that  every  healthy  male  in  Germany 
must  submit  to  the  military  conditions  and 
breathe  the  atmosphere  described  as  existing 
in  the  town  of  Forbach  stirred  Germany  to 
its  depths,  because  family  Hfe,  which  is  still 
the  dominant  note  throughout  the  Kaiser's 
dominions  was  touched  in  its  tenderest  spot 
by  this  recital  of  tyranny,  debauchery,  and 
crime. 

It  is  too  early  to  say  whether  the  Kaiser 
and  his  General  Staff  will  succeed  in  re- 
forming the  evils  described  by  Lieutenant 
Bilse.  That  his  Majesty  will  use  every 
effort  to  do  so  may  be  assumed,  for  the 
German  people  who  give  their  sons  to  their 
country  are  highly-educated  and  reflecting 
people,  and  their  claim  on  the  Emperor 
that  the  young  men  shall  not  be  sent  back 
xvi 


INTRODUCTION 


to  their  parents  physically  and  morally 
degenerate  is  irresistible.  The  gratitude  of 
these  fathers  and  mothers  to  Lieutenant 
Bilse  foi  speaking  the  truth  and  for  under- 
going imprisonment  is  real,  but  it  cannot  be 
expressed.  I  have  reason  to  know  that  even 
his  own  relations  are  unable  to  evince  the 
sympathy  or  express  the  feeUngs  which  naturally 
arise.  The  imprisonment  and  punishment 
of  Bilse  is  an  exempHfication  of  the  Spanish 
v^  proverb — "  Who  would  be  a  Christ  must  expect 
crucifixion."  The  prophet  who  laments  when 
he  is  punished  for  striking  a  blow  for  the 
commonwealth  in  the  public  service  scarcely 
deserves  the  name  of  a  prophet,  for  the  people 
who  do  the  greatest  service  to  the  human 
I  ace,  and  who  bring  about  widespread  and 
lasting  reform,  are  those  who  in  their  life- 
times must  endure  the  opposition  and  earn 
the  hatred  of  all  who  profit  by  the  existing 
system. 

This  book  of  Lieutenant  Bilse  has  had  its 
paiallel  both  in  France  and  in  England.  In 
France  the  novel,  "  Les  Maritimes,"  exposed 
the  life  of  naval  society  at  Toulon  in  precisely 
the  same  manner  as  the  life  in  Forbach  is 
revealed  by  Lieutenant  Bilse.  The  English 
equivalent  to  the  Geiman  novel.  "  Life  in  a 
xvii 


INTRODUCTION 


Garrison  Town,"  and  to  the  French  novel, 
"  Les  Mari times,"  is  it  not  written  in  the 
Book  of  the  Chronicles  of  the  Royal  Com- 
mission  on   the   War  ? 

Arnold  White. 


xvm 


Preface  to  the  Fourth  Edition 

THERE  are,  it  seems,  still  some  moral 
people  left  in  the  world  ! 
I  arrived  at  this  conclusion  as 
the  result  of  examining  an  un- 
authorised American  edition  of  my  book,  "  Aus 
einer  Kleinen  Garnison,"  translated  and  altered 
for  the  use  of  that  great  nation,  which  not 
only  leads  all  other  nations  in  material  pro- 
gress, but  also  prides  itself  on  leading  them 
in  liberty  of  thought.  I  blush  to  confess  that 
I  have  written  a  book,  interspersed  by  certain 
questionable  scenes,  that  had  to  be  "  edited  " 
to  make  it  harmless  and  palatable  for  a  reading 
public  accustomed,  it  would  seem,  to  be  nour- 
ished only  on  the  milk  of  a  pure  and  holy 
innocence. 

"  What  splendid  people  these  must  be,"  I 
meditated,  "  to  whom  one  may  not  even  hint 
at  a  dubious  episode  for  fear  of  tarnishing 
their  blameless  purity  !  "  But  then  it  occurred 
to  me  that  this  same  blameless  purity  must 
rest  on  a  very  insecure  basis  if  a  few  such 
incidents  should  have  the  power  to  shake  it  to 
its  very  foundations. 

xix 


PREFACE    TO    THE     FOURTH    EDITION 

Now  this  is  theory.  What  is  the  reahty  ? 
Are  these  the  same  virtuous  andjjious  people 
in  whose  midst  divorce  and  all  that  comes 
in  its  wake  is  so  common,  who  so  thoroughly 
enjoy  each  detail  of  the  most  scandalous 
cases,  and  who,  furthermore,  in  order  to 
\  make  the  end  justify  the  means,  can  exhibit 
such  a  colossal  lack  both  of  conscience  and 
justice  ? 

In  a  few  words,  does  it  show  no  lack  of 
conscience  to  turn  an  author,  whose  work 
was  the  outcome  of  sincere  patriotic  feeling, 
into  a  rank  Sociahst — to  make  him,  as  it  were, 
the  mouthpiece  for  innumerable  insults  against 
his  king,  and  to  re-write  whole  chapters  of 
his  book,  with  the  result  that  a  new  work,  both 
as  to  contents  and  aim,  is  produced,  clumsily 
patched  together  ? 

In  a  way  this  might  be  a  matter  of  perfect 
indifference  to  me,  for  the  American  edition, 
called  "  A  Little  Garrison,"  has  so  little  in 
common  with  my  book,  "  Aus  einer  Kleinen 
Garnison,"  that  I  might  pass  it  by,  merely 
shrugging  my  shoulders  at  the  pecuHar 
methods  of  the  American  pubhsher,  had  not 
the  translator  stolen  parts  of  my  book  to  use 
them  as  a  vehicle  for  his  Sociahstic  views. 
This   course   is   contemptible,    and,    further,   it 

XX 


PREFACE    TO    THE    FOURTH     EDITION 

is  dishonest  to  call  his  book  by  the  title  of 
another,  and  to  declare  that  *'  A  Little  Garrison  " 
is  a  translation  of  my  book,  "  Life  in  a  Garrison 
Town."  It  is  foolish  to  suppose,  also,  that  an 
American  pubhsher  and  his  editor  are  in  a 
position  either  to  criticise  or  instruct  the 
German  Emperor,  and  equally  fooHsh  to  think 
that  it  is  in  their  power  to  injure  him  by 
their  insults. 

In  the  introduction  to  this  American  edition 
the  translator  twice  coolly  declares  that  he 
has  obtained  the  copyright  of  my  book,  but, 
in  fact,  he  never  obtained  it  at  all ;  he 
simply  stole  what  portions  of  my  book  he 
utilised,  as  he  stole  my  title  and  appended 
my  name  to  a  volume  which  he  had  re- 
written to  suit  his  own  pubhc  and  private 
purposes. 

Yes,  that  is  the  work  of  a  representative 
of  the  great  American  nation,  or,  in  other 
words,  it  is  the  work  of  a  man  without 
conscience  or  justice,  who,  according  to  what 
would  appear  the  fashion  in  literary  matters 
in  America,  fills  his  pockets  with  the  results 
of  hterary  piracy.  America,  which  now  con- 
siders herself  as  the  leading  power  in  the 
realm  of  thought,  can  never  take  her  right- 
ful place  in  the  council  of  nations  until 
xxi 


PREFACE    TO    THE    FOURTH    EDITION 

she  respects  with  greater  zeal  the  copyright 
of  the  brain  work  of  the  rest  of  the  world. 
This  is  an  elemental  act  of  common  justice 
which  she  owes  to  every  creator  of  literature 
and  art. 

It  is  characteristic  that  America  was  the 
only  country  in  this  instance  that  took  a 
liberty  which  not  even  France,  Germany's 
hereditary  enemy,  ventured  to  take,  though  in 
so  doing  she  had  an  opportunity  to  fan  the 
national  hate  of  Germany  such  as  may  not 
occur  again  for  some  years.  But  no,  the 
French  edition  is  absolutely  and  faithfully 
correct,  as,  indeed,  are  the  translations  into 
other  languages.  Among  the  fourteen  of  these 
I  will  only  mention  the  English,  Russian, 
ItaHan,  Spanish,  Dutch,  Hungarian,  Bohemian, 
Swedish,  and  Norwegian.  These  translations 
are  strictly  confined  to  an  exact  rendering  of 
the  book  into  a  different  language,  which 
alone  enables  the  reader  to  obtain  a  clear  idea 
of  the  aims  which  were  the  motive  power  in 
the  writing  of  my  book, — namely,  to  do  my 
share  towards  reforming  the  abuses  of  an 
army  conceded  by  all  to  be  the  greatest  in 
the  world. 

There  are  evils  in  all  armies,  and  it  is  the 
duty  of  every  patriot  to  seek  to  reform  them. 
xxii 


PREFACE    TO     THE     FOURTH     EDITION 

But  to  reform  evils  it  is  first  necessary  to 
realise  their  existence.  To  recognise  evils 
is  the  first  step  towards  reform. 

It  is  possible  that  an  hereditary  confidence 
in  the  absolute  excellence  of  the  German 
Army  has  dulled  the  keen  edge  of  criticism, 
and  it  is  possible  that  owing  to  natural  causes, 
as  well  as  to  the  inevitable  results  of  a  long 
peace,  certain  abuses  have  escaped  the  notice 
of  the  military  authorities.  At  all  events  it  is 
very  difficult  to  calculate  the  extent  of  an 
evil  that  hides  behind  an  outward  magnifi- 
cence which  is  ever  increasing — an  evil  which 
gradually  grows,  until  one  day  it  will  appear 
as  a  vast  and  overwhelming  danger,  from  which 
we  shall  shrink  in  horror  and  dismay  as  from 
an  apparition  in  a  black  night.  We  have 
not  the  courage  to  face  it,  but  rather,  after 
the  manner  of  weak  and  sophistical  human 
nature,  we  deny  its  presence ;  but  deny  it 
though  we  may,  the  evil  is  not  only  there 
but  it  grows,  and  the  fear  of  it  increases,  yet 
no  remedy  is  apphed  until  it  is  too  late — 
if,  indeed,  a  time  can  come  when  it  is  too 
late  to  heal  what  is  evil  in  so  staunch  and 
vigorous  a  body  as  the  German  Army. 

In  vain  have  loud  and  insistent  warnings 
tried  to  penetrate  ears  that  refuse  to  hear, 
xxiii 


PREFACE    TO    THE     FOURTH    EDITION 

for  to  hear  meant  action,  and  action  was 
troublesome  and  difficult,  it  being,  besides, 
dangerous  to  lift  the  veil  from  blots  that  have 
grown  conventional  by  long  usage.  But  the 
veil  had  to  be  hfted,  there  was  a  peremptory 
"  must  "  that  could  not  be  disobeyed,  requiring 
that  the  wounds  of  this  great  body  now 
exposed  to  the  Hght  of  the  world,  should  be 
healed.  The  world  stands  expectant  and  waiting 
to  see  it  accomplished. 

This  is  what  the  German  Army  required, 
and  for  this  purpose  I  wrote  my  book.  It 
was  meant  to  be  an  accusation  so  drastic  that 
I  should  compel  a  defence  or  an  acknowledg- 
ment of  existing  evils.  The  acknowledg- 
ment has  been  made,  for  the  Court-Martial 
at  Metz  succeeded  in  obtaining  it  with  a 
brutal  certainty.  Abuses  were  discovered 
that  exceeded  the  woist  forebodings,  and 
these  in  a  single  ganison.  Now  is  that  a 
reason  that  they  should  not  be  found  in 
other  garrisons  ?     No. 

Possibly  they  exist  in  a  less  developed,  less 
dangerous  form,  but  they  are  there,  and  reform, 
if  it  begins  anywhere,  must  begin  everywhere 
simultaneously,  not  as  a  palliative  but  as  a  cure, 
and  as  a  preventive  to  allay  the  distrust  of  the 
nation. 

xxiv 


PREFACE     TO     THE     FOURTH     EDITION 

In  this  way  reform  will  reach  both  head 
and  Umbs,  as  Luther  has  it — a  reform  which, 
even  in  self-interest,  we  owe  to  the  army, 
and  to  the  peace  of  our  nation,  and  as  our 
justification  in  the  eyes  of  the  world.  And 
what  reform  does  the  German  Army  require  ? 
I  will  endeavour  to  reply  to  the  question  by 
enumerating  those  that  I  consider  most  vital. 

1.  There  should  be  placed  in  all  respon- 
sible positions  responsible  persons,  and  not 
men  who,  themselves  open  to  criticism,  have 
neither  justice  nor  tact  enough  to  keep  their 
troops,  both  morally  and  efficiently,  on  the 
highest  level  of  excellence. 

2.  Energetic  measures  should  be  taken  to 
eradicate  such  evils  as  the  ill-treatment  of 
soldiers,  so  that  when  the  private  has  served 
his  time  he  may  leave  as  a  faithful  servant 
of  his  Emperor,  instead  of  leaving  in  resent- 
ment and  ready  to  join  the  opposition  (the 
SociaUsts). 

3.  The  intellectual  activity  of  the  officer 
should  be  enlarged.  This  is  imperative, 
since,  occupying  as  he  does  the  chief  social 
rank  in  his  country,  only  such  an  one  who 
is  both  mentally  and  morally  cultivated  can 
worthily  uphold  the  honour  of  his  position 
as    the    representative    of    the    honour    of    the 

XXV 


PREFACE    TO    THE    FOURTH    EDITION 

German  Army.  Also  he  should  learn  to  value 
and  respect  at  their  full  worth  the  civiUan 
classes,  who  will  then  gladly  give  way  to  him, 
and  permit  him  to  enjoy  the  privileges  of  his 
rank. 

4.  That  no  officer  should  be  permitted  a 
false  sense  of  self-importance.  His  position 
and  duty  as  defender  of  his  country  are,  un- 
doubtedly, of  the  supremest  importance,  but, 
after  all,  it  is  of  what  he  has  done  that  the 
officer  should  be  proud,  not  of  what  he  possibly 
may  do. 

5.  Energetic  measures  should  be  taken  to 
check  the  ever-increasing  luxury  of  living,  or 
the  officer's  pay  should  be  increased,  so  as  to 
put  an  end  to  that  deplorable  and  most  common 
spectacle — an  officer  deeply  and  hopelessly  in 
debt.  These  unfortunate  financial  conditions 
debase  him  morally,  impair  his  usefulness,  and 
at  the  same  time  destroy  the  confidence  of  the 
nation  in  him. 

6.  All  officers  should  in  turn  be  permitted 
to  serve  in  the  great  garrisons,  nor  should 
any  one  of  them  be  obliged  to  serve  longer 
than  two  or  three  years  in  the  frontier 
garrison  towns.  Life  in  these  often  results  in 
a  mental  and  moral  deterioration,  being  the 
consequence    of    disagreeable     conditions    and 

xxvi 


PREFACE     TO     THE     FOURTH     EDITION 

of  the  officers  being  thrown  too  much  on  their 
own  resources. 

The  last  of  these  reforms  is  probably  the 
first  that  can  be  undertaken  with  a  chance  of 
success.  The  time  that  has  elapsed  since 
the  Court-Martial  at  Metz  is  still  too  short 
to  judge  the  result  of  certain  changes.  To 
be  sure,  the  inquiry  into  the  conditions  at 
Forbach  had  as  a  consequence  the  cashiering 
of  all  the  officers  involved,  but  to  ensure  reform 
throughout  the  German  Army  will  require  time 
and  patience. 

Deep-rooted  evils  cannot  be  cured  in  a 
day,  but  time  will  accomplish  what  imperial 
proclamations,  and  private  and  public  orders 
are  striving  for.  These  latter  should  include 
among  the  first  general  regulations  of  frontier 
garrison  towns,  drastic  punishments  for  ill- 
treatment  of  soldiers,  and  a  very  sharp  control 
of  the  private  life  of  officers.  These  suggested 
new  regulations,  if  adopted,  may  wound  the 
pride  of  the  Prussian  officers,  but  out  of 
this  will  rise  a  feeling  that  will  work  its  own 
salvation. 

The    most    important    factor    is    that    the 
truth    should    be     known,     and     undoubtedly 
courts-martial   and   trials   held    in   camera   will 
defeat  the  end  and  object  in  view, 
xxvii 


PREFACE    TO     THE     FOURTH     EDITION 

It  must  be  confessed  that  it  is  sometimes 
dangerous  to  tell  the  truth.  My  attempt  to 
acquaint  a  superior  officer  with  certain  exist- 
ing conditions  was  met  by  his  declaration 
that  criticism  of  his  officers  was  permissible 
only  to  their  commander  and  not  to  a  young 
lieutenant ;  in  other  words,  he  forbade  my 
speaking. 

So  it  was  that  on  a  hot  July  day  I  began 
my  work,  and  nine  days  after  I  sent  it  to  be 
printed.  On  the  15th  of  August,  1903, 
decorated  with  the  German  colours,  it  started 
on  its  travels,  and  I  started  on  mine  on  the 
6th  of  October.  Mine  were  less  extended, 
for  they  ended  in  the  prison  at  Metz,  and 
four  weeks  afterwards  I  was  court-martialed. 
Why,  I  do  not  clearly  know  to  this  day. 
However,  I  was  court-martialed  and  sen- 
tenced to  imprisonment,  though  not  for  two 
years,  as  I  fully  expected,  but  for  six  months. 
Still  they  apparently  saw  in  me  a  criminal  of 
the  most  dangerous  description,  for  the  super- 
vision of  my  correspondence,  as  well  as  my 
every  movement  in  my  very  modest  drawing- 
room  (which  was  at  the  same  time  my  dining 
and  bed-room),  was  as  strict  as  if  they  feared 
that  I  was  quite  capable  of  murdering  ten  or 
more  defenceless  victims, 
xxviii 


PREFACE    TO     THE     FOURTH     EDITION 

I  must  confess  that  I  greatly  enjoyed  the 
terror  of  my  gaolers,  and  one  day  after  it  was 
announced  in  the  newspaper  that  I  had  written 
a  play  called  "  Truth,"  a  magistrate  came  and 
made  an  exhaustive  examination  of  all  my 
possessions,  even  to  my  underclothing  and  my 
pockets,  in  his  endeavour  to  discover  the  corpus 
delicti.  But  it  was  all  in  vain,  for  it  was  safe  in 
the  hands  of  the  printer. 

Christmas  Day  brought  with  it,  for  me,  the 
most  curious  present  I  have  ever  received — 
namely,  the  confirmation  of  my  sentence  by 
His  Majesty  the  German  Emperor. 

The  result  was  that  I  ceased  to  be  an  officer, 
and  was  now  simply  an  ordinary  civilian,  and 
my  destination  was  the  ordinary  civil  prison  at 
Strassburg.  It  really  seems  to  me  an  act  of 
supreme  clemency  that  I  was  not  taken  there 
in  chains  ! 

It  was  quite  pleasant  in  Strassburg.  My 
new  abode  consisted  of  a  simple  and  un- 
assuming room  of  very  modest  dimensions, 
lighted  by  a  small  garret  window  and  fur- 
nished with  a  table,  a  chair,  and  a  bed,  which 
could  also  be  used  as  a  sofa  by  visitors. 
Visitors  ?  Yes,  the  lawyer  who  managed  my 
affairs  came  quite  often,  and  he  told  me  of 
the  war  with  the  Hereros  and  the  Russian 
xxix 


PREFACE    TO    THE    FOURTH    EDITION 

and  Japanese  war  ;  occasionally  he  also  gave 
me  a  distant  glimpse  of  a  newspaper,  which, 
however,  I  was  not  permitted  to  read  in 
prison.  I  was  not  even  allowed  my  Daily 
Mail. 

Then  I  had  the  steady  visits  of  the  chaplain, 
who  vainly  tried  to  make  me  a  better  man. 
He  was  most  agreeable,  and  I  am  grateful  to 
him  even  to  this  day  for  his  improving  conver- 
sations, for  he  always  carried  about  him  a 
delightful  smell  of  tobacco  !  Do  not  laugh,  my 
dear  reader  !  When  one  loves  smoking  as  I 
do,  and  smoking  is  forbidden,  then  it  is  at 
least  some  consolation  to  smell  it,  and  so  when- 
ever he  came  I  sniffed  tobacco  with  the  greatest 
rapture. 

I  must  acknowledge  that  the  civiHan 
gaolers  were  infinitely  nicer  than  my  military 
ones.  They  were  distinctly  gentlemen,  and 
they  openly  expressed  their  sympathy  for 
me.  I  was  permitted  to  read  and  to  take 
walks  in  a  circle  around  a  grass  plot 
the  size  of  a  salad !  Across  the  way  on  a 
balcony  there  would  appear  beautiful  feminine 
apparitions  armed  with  opera  glasses,  who 
watched  that  hardened  criminal  Bilse  in  his 
black  prison  uniform,  which  was  wonderfully 
becoming.     My   meals   were   sent   to   me   from 

XXX 


PREFACE     TO     THE     FOURTH     EDITION 

a  neighbouring  hotel,  and  two  cats  undertook 
the  task  of  clearing  away  what  remained  of  these 
banquets. 

There  is  a  curious  charm  in  living  entirely 
by  oneself  and  with  one's  own  thoughts  for  six 
months.  To  be  one's  only  companion  !  And 
though  I  was  a  rather  tiresome  companion 
for  myself,  I  felt  well,  very  well.  I  am 
inclined  to  think  that  the  happiest  man  in 
the  world  is  the  one  who  can  Hve  contentedly 
in  solitude.  To-day  I  stand,  as  it  were,  in 
the  whirl  of  life,  and  yet  I  look  back  with  a 
curious  longing  to  those  lonely  days. 

I  was  permitted  to  write,  and  as  I  had  given 
my  readers  of  "  Aus  einer  Kleinen  Garnison  " 
("  Life  in  a  Garrison  Town ")  no  reason  to 
think  I  could  do  more  than  write  a  human 
document  barren  of  literary  merit,  I  tried 
to  justify  myself  by  wiiting  a  new  novel — 
"Das  Blaue  Schloss "  ("The  Blue  Castle"). 
It  is  not  a  military  novel,  nor  is  it  merely  a 
human  document  ;  it  is  a  book  to  be  judged 
on  its  literary  merits.  Still  it  was  quite 
impossible  for  me  entirely  to  desert  the  field 
of  my  first  literary  endeavour,  so  I  began 
a  new  military  novel.  In  character  ,it  does 
not  greatly  differ  from  the  other,  for  it  has  the 
same  general  purpose. 

xxxi 


PREFACE    TO    THE     FOURTH    EDITION 

It  demands  reform  of  military  abuses,  and 
for  this  reason  it  will  of  necessity  deal  with 
the  private  life  of  both  German  soldiers  and 
officers,  with  the  additional  study  of  certain 
existing  evils  not  adequately  touched  upon  in 
the  other  book.  I  must,  however,  warn  my 
very  virtuous  American  readers  in  advance 
that  I  shall  be  obliged  to  describe  certain 
scenes,  the  morality  of  which  is  more  than 
questionable.     So  be  careful ! 

4:  4:  4(  :(:  H( 

I  have  been  studying  the  English  "  Blue 
Book,"  the  result  of  a  commission  on  the 
Volunteer  and  Militia  systems.  Does  not 
this  document  most  drastically  portray  the 
inadequacies  of  the  English  Army  ?  Of 
course  it  does  !  That  the  English  Government 
has  itself  appointed  a  Commission  for  the  pur- 
pose of  bringing  light  into  the  darkness  of  the 
English  mihtary  system  is  an  admirable  step  in 
the  right  direction. 

It  seems  to  me  that  in  such  matters  one 
nation  can  help  the  other,  for  the  same  evils 
exist  and  are  reproduced  in  all  armies, 
differing  only  in  outward  conditions  of 
existence.  What  has  proved  itself  in  the 
course  of  years  of  experience  as  the 
keystone  for  unity  and  efficiency  in  one 
xxxii 


PREFACE    TO     THE     FOURTH     EDITION 

army  is  undoubtedly  as  requisite  in  another 
army,  making  due  allowances  for  national 
peculiarities.  I  need  hardly  say  that  I  refer 
to  conscription. 

The  German  Army,  the  greatest  in  the 
world,  is  a  proof  of  the  value  of  the  system, 
and  even  if  England  is  now  the  first  sea- 
Power  in  the  world  (some  day,  possibly,  to  be 
surpassed  by  Germany),  yet  she  also  needs  a 
great  army  with  which  to  defend  the  Mother- 
land and  her  Colonies.  What  help  was 
England's  navy  to  her  in  the  Boer  war, 
apart  from  the  purposes  of  transport  ?  What 
help  would  it  be  to  her  against  an  invading 
army  ?  For  England's  navy  cannot  withstand 
an  invading  army  in  the  long  run. 

For  this  reason  it  should  be  England's 
aim  to  create  an  army  organised  according 
to  the  highest  modern  standard — ^that  is, 
Germany's.  The  very  fact  that  every  young 
man  who  in  turn  serves  his  time  gives  way 
automatically  to  another  increases  the 
absolute  unity  of  the  army,  perfects  its 
efficiency,  creates  a  great  reserve,  proves  a 
capital  education,  and  gives  the  army  an 
ever  increasing  importance  in  the  eyes  of 
foreign  nations.  At  the  same  time  it  puts 
the  country  in  the  position  of  always  having 
xxxiii 


PREFACE    TO    THE     FOURTH    EDITION 

at  its  command  troops  whose  quantity  and 
quality  are  absolutely  to  be  relied  on,  which 
is  quite  impossible  in  the  case  of  volunteers. 
For  who  can  absolutely  guarantee  that  these, 
in  case  of  changes,  political,  social,  or 
otherwise,  will  be  available  ?  Besides,  the 
improvements  demanded  in  discipHne,  par- 
ticularly emphasised  in  the  "  Blue  Book," 
can  only  be  attained  in  an  army  which  is  the 
result  of  conscription.  "  Must  "  should  be 
the  supreme  word,  but  can  it  be  in  an  army 
composed  of  volunteers  ? 

At  the  same  time  England  can,  with  the 
German  Army  as  a  model,  learn  what  to  avoid  in 
her  new  organisation. 

The  question,  "the  Army,"  should  be  one 
of  the  first,  but  not  the  first,  for  the  inevitable 
result  will  be  that  other  classes,  other  in- 
dustries, and  other  professions  will  suffer  in 
both  ideal  and  material  interest.  A  part  of 
the  enormous  sums  which  the  German  Army 
swallows  every  year  would,  if  devoted  to 
other  purposes,  prove  an  incalculable  bless- 
ing. Not  the  least  danger  is  Socialism, 
which  is  naturally  abnormally  increased 
when  the  labouring  classes  observe  how  the 
greater  part  of  the  burdensome  taxes  is 
used  to  support  an  army  in  which  it  gives 
xxxiv 


PREFACE    TO    THE    FOURTH     EDITION 

but  few  pleasure  to  serve,  for  they  feel 
themselves  insulted  in  their  right  as  free 
human  beings  by  the  harshness  of  the 
military  rule. 

Therefore  there  should  be  moderation  in 
mihtary  aspirations.  Here,  as  in  other  con- 
ditions of  Ufe,  moderation  is  an  important 
factor  in  the  prosperity  of  a  nation. 

It  is  not  true  that  the  army  is  in  Germany 
the  principal  recruiting  ground  of  SociaUsm. 
It  is  one  of  many  factors  which  can  never 
be  eliminated,  because  the  proletariat  is 
incapable  of  compiehending  the  ideal  point 
of  view  of  a  great  and  splendidly  equipped 
standing  army.  It  sees  the  force  employed, 
but  not  the  excellence  attained. 

A  greater  cause  of  the  growth  of  SociaUsm 
seems  to  me  to  be  that  the  aims  of  the 
German  Emperor  are  never  quite  under- 
stood nor  valued.  WilHam  II.  is  a  genius, 
and  genius  is  rarely  understood  or  appre- 
ciated except  by  a  later  generation,  and  so 
it  may  be  that  the  Kaiser's  wish  to  put  an 
historical  stamp  on  everything  in  our  most 
unhistorical  time  by  the  seal  of  his  own 
personality,  besides  always  being  in  the 
foreground  of  the  scene  and  saying  the  last 
word,    may    often    be    judged    as    an    officious 

XXXV 


PREFACE    TO    THE     FOURTH     EDITION 

interference,  because  it  is  impossible  for 
many  of  us  to  see  the  high  and  great  aims 
that  he  always  has  in  view.  This  is  the 
reason  that  many  of  his  subjects  feel  their 
interests  neglected,  not  realising  that  the 
Kaiser  is  really  their  best  friend.  Hence 
the  increase  of  Socialism,  consisting  mostly 
of  discontented  and  narrow-minded  persons 
who  pursue  ideas  which  they  do  not  under- 
stand. Finally,  it  has  become  a  kind  of 
tradition  among  the  German  labouring  classes 
that  they  must  be  SociaHsts. 

Ask  ten  SociaHsts  what  they  want,  and 
the  end  and  aim  of  their  party,  and  eight 
will  talk  nonsense,  because  they  have  no 
idea  what  it  means  to  be  a  Socialist. 

I  have  always  wondered  why  there  are  so 
few  Socialists  in  England.  It  occurs  to  me 
that  the  following  may  be  the  explanation. 
I  have  occasionally  seen  small  groups  of 
Socialists  in  Hyde  Park  denouncing  every- 
body and  everything,  from  King  Edward 
downwards,  while  about  them  the  finest 
poHce  in  the  world  protects  the  discontented 
orators.  Now  in  Germany  a  similar  group 
would  at  once  be  arrested  for  Use  majesti. 
Here  it  seems  to  me  is  the  fundamental 
difference  in  the  liberty  of  the  two  peoples, 
xxxvi 


PREFACE    TO    THE     FOURTH     EDITION 

I  wonder  if  all  the  clever  diplomatic  moves 
of  King  Edward  are  approved  of,  or  even  if 
they  are  understood  ?  A  marvellous  diplomatist 
is  King  Edward,  calculating  and  keen,  and 
with  an  astonishing  knowledge  of  human 
nature.  Posterity  will  never  accuse  him  of 
bluster  !  He  holds  in  his  hands,  secretly  but 
firmly,  innumerable  threads,  attached  to  in- 
numerable illustrious  personages,  who  never 
even  suspect  that  they  are  being  manipulated, 
so  deft  is  his  diplomacy. 

Do  King  Edward's  people  reahse  this,  and 
are  they  satisfied  with  him,  or  are  they  in- 
different— ^too  indifferent  to  get  excited  ?  The 
fact  is,  it  does  not  excite  them.  And  for  this 
very  reason,  and  because  England  is  so  free 
from  Socialism,  it  is  just  the  country  for  a  fine 
standing  army. 

Kaiser  WiUiam  and  King  Edward  are  good 
friends,  but  their  respective  people  are  not.  As 
often  as  these  two  sovereigns  have  a  harmless 
meeting,  then  Germany  scowls  across  the 
herring-pond  and  darkly  suspects  an  act  of  great 
political  significance. 

But,  surely,  these  two  rulers  may  sometimes 

talk  freely  and  frankly  about  their  respective 

countries  ?     Human    beings    may    learn    from 

each  other,  and,  above  all,  one  king  from  another 

xxxvii 


PREFACE    TO     THE     FOURTH     EDITION 

king.  Why  should  not  their  two  nations  follow 
their  example  ? 

The  needs  and  resources  of  England  and 
Germany  so  supplement  each  other  that  we 
should,  indeed,  have  two  ideal  states  if  each 
country  would  add  the  other's  resources  to  her 
own.  Each  should,  however,  also  learn  from 
the  other's  needs,  not  the  least  those  of  the 
army ;  and  if,  in  this  case,  Germany  may  be 
called  the  teacher  and  England  the  pupil,  at 
any  rate  in  the  course  of  comparison  evils  will 
be  discovered.  Were  they  not  recently  dis- 
covered in  another  way  ? 

It  should  be  the  object  of  every  man  who 
has  the  interest  of  his  country  at  heart  to 
promote  a  better  understanding  and  good  will 
between  these  two  nations,  whose  ends  and 
aims  lie  in  parallel  lines  and  have  no  need  to 
cross  each  other.  To  succeed  in  this  is  to 
solve  the  problem  of  the  twentieth  century — ^the 
peace^of  the  world. 


F.    O.   BiLSE, 

Ex-Lieutenant. 


London,  July,  1904. 


xxxviu 


LIFE  IN  A 
GARRISON  TOWN 

Chapter  I 

THERE  was  an    air  both    of   comfort 
and  elegance  in  the  spacious  room 
where     Frau     Clara     Konig     was 
awaiting    her    guests,    and    putting 
last,  deft  touches  to  the  preparations. 

It  was  the  evening  of  the  weekly  "  musi- 
cale,"  to  which  such  of  her  intimate  friends 
who  loved  music  were  always  invited.  To- 
night a  few  outside  the  circle  had  been  asked 
to  witness,  as  it  were,  the  triumphant  success 
of  the  "  artists." 

She  moved  about  the  room  looking  at 
everything  with  critical  eyes.  Here  she 
changed  the  position  of  a  chair,  or  there, 
with  light  hand,  she  smoothed  some  delicate 
piece  of  embroidery,  her  own  work  and 
design.  She  examined  the  lamps  to  see  how 
long  they  would  burn,  opened  the  piano  and 

I  B 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

the  harmonium,  and  threw  a  last  fond  glance 
at  the  flowers  to  see  if  the  vases  displayed 
their  fragrant  contents  from  the  best  point  of 
view.  This  was  her  delight,  and  even  in  the 
depths  of  winter  there  were  always  a  few 
flowers,  or  at  least  a  small  plant,  on  the 
chimney-piece  or  in  the  window. 

Of  medium  height,  and  with  a  graceful 
figure,  Frau  Clara  was  a  woman  of  about 
thirty.  Her  pretty,  fresh  face,  sunny  blue 
eyes,  and  fair  hair  tastefully  arranged,  made 
her  look  very  young  and  attractive. 

She  sank  into  an  arm-chair  now  that  every- 
thing was  in  order,  though  indeed  everything 
always  was  in  order. 

At  this  moment  the  curtain  of  the  door 
into  the  next  room  was  flung  aside  and  her 
husband,  a  tall  man  with  a  black  moustache, 
came  in  to  do  his  share  of  the  work,  for  it 
was  his  duty  to  light  the  chandelier.  He 
usually  reckoned  in  the  proportion  of  one  jet 
for  each  guest,  but  to-night  he  Hghted  the 
whole  chandelier,  for  many  were  expected, 
and  there  were  only  five  burners  in  all.  So 
he  lighted  them  with  a  taper  that  stood 
handy  in  the  chimney-comer,  grumbled  about 
the  extortionate  gas  bills,  and  then,  emptying 
the  coal-scuttle  on  the  fire,  flung  in  a  piece  of 

|2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

paper  after  to  prevent  its  smoking ;  then  he 
also  dropped  into  a  chair. 

Herr  Albert  Konig  was  an  excellent  type 
of  a  cavalry  officer.  He  kept  his  squadrcoi  in 
the  best  order,  and  devoted  to  it  the  greatest 
zeal  and  the  most  unremitting  care.  If  he 
happened  to  have  time  and  leisure  he  read 
Die  Deutsche  Zeitung,  or  studied  the  columns 
of  the  financial  news,  or  worked  in  his  well- 
kept  garden,  or  watched  over  his  poultry 
yard,  for  he  sold  the  eggs  that  came  from 
there  to  his  wife  at  a  high  price.  If  he  had 
nothing  else  to  do  he  planned  and  fought 
battles  with  his  nine-year-old  son,  or  sampled 
wines,  being  an  excellent  judge,  or  he 
practised  the  piano,  which  he  really  played 
hke  a  master. 

A  noise  in  the  ante-room  announced  the 
first  guest.  They  heard  a  long,  halting  step 
and  a  violent  puffing.  The  door  opened 
and  in  came  Landrat  von  Konradi,  a  portly 
gentleman,  his  aristocratic  nose  surmounted 
by  eye-glasses,  above  which  his  eyes  searched 
for  his  hostess.  His  hair  was  evidently  by 
nature  grey,  but  was  dyed  black ;  a  con- 
cession, spiteful  tongues  declared,  to  the 
fair  sex.  Be  it  added,  the  Herr  Landrat 
was  a  bachelor.    His  ideal  in  fife  had   taken 

3  B  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

the  pleasant  shape  of  good  dinners  and  the 
finest  wines,  and  as  both  could  be  found  at 
the  Captain's  he  was  glad  to  come  ;  he  was 
also  considered  quite  a  gentleman.  Just  as 
he  was  describing  to  his  hostess  with  great 
indignation  how  a  pheasant,  which  he  had 
himself  ordered,  was  sent  to  him  in  a  per- 
fectly uneatable  condition,  the  door  again 
opened  and  Frau  Rittmeister  Kahle  came  in. 
With  a  slight,  graceful  figure  and  a  face  like 
a  naughty  boy's,  she  was  on  the  whole  very 
fetching,  though  there  was  an  eternal  smile 
about  her  rather  large  mouth,  and  when  she 
spoke  her  voice  was  singularly  harsh  and 
shrill. 

She  was  followed  by  three  young  men,  the 
first  of  whom  was  Lieutenant  Pommer.  He 
was  very  much  liked  because  of  his  frank, 
straightforward  manners ;  if  these  sometimes 
made  him  seem  rather  rude,  no  one  took 
offence,  for  all  knew  how  it  was  meant.  He 
greeted  Frau  Kahle  with  especial  cordiality, 
and  the  contrast  between  the  big  burly  man 
and  the  little  Dresden  china  figure  was  very 
amusing. 

The  second  was  Lieutenant  Miiller.  Though 
one  might  not  know  that  he  was  the  Adjutant 
of   the   regiment,    one   could   not   but    suspect 

4 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

it,  for  so  self-satisfied  was  his  face  and  so 
stiff  his  bearing.  He  was  the  terror  of  all 
hostesses,  for  he  had  an  insatiable  appetite, 
and  he  devoured  with  the  greatest  equanimity 
three  times  as  much  as  any  ordinary 
moital.  Even  when  his  neighbours  at 
table  had  laid  down  their  knives  and  forks, 
he  would  go  on  helping  himself  for  the  third 
time,  with  the  interesting  announcement  that 
this  was  something  he  particularly  Uked 
to  eat. 

The  last  of  the  three  was  Lieutenant 
Kolberg,  a  strikingly  pale  young  man  with  a 
boldly  turned-up  moustache.  He  led  a  very 
irregular  Ufe  and  boasted  of  an  exceedingly 
dissipated  past. 

While  waiting  for  the  rest  of  the  guests, 
the  company  gathered  in  groups.  Lieutenant 
Kolberg  joined  Frau  Kahle  and  measured 
her  approvingly  from  head  to  foot.  The 
Adjutant  inquired  of  Frau  Konig  what  she 
proposed  giving  them  to  eat,  and,  on  being 
told,  assured  her  that  these  were  all  his 
favourite  dishes.  The  Landrat  chatted  with 
the  Rittmeister  about  a  wine-tasting  trip  they 
were  planning  together  for  the  purpose  of 
refilling  their  wine  cellars  with  new  treasures. 

Again  the  door  opened  and  in  darted  a 
5 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

great,  fat  lady,  most  outrageously  powdered, 
and  whose  badly-fitting  black  and  yellow 
dress  was  made  in  the  worst  possible  taste. 

She  rushed  up  to  Frau  Clara,  squeezed 
her  hand  with  her  round,  fat  fingers,  and 
thanked  her  effusively  for  her  invitation,  then 
turning  to  the  gentlemen  held  her  big,  fleshy 
hand  so  close  under  their  noses  that  there 
was  no  escape  for  them,  and  they  were  forced 
to  imprint  on  it  the  customary  kiss. 

This  was  Frau  Rittmeister  Stark,  the  bride 
of  the  regiment,  so  to  speak,  though  more 
than  fifty  summers  had  passed  over  her  head. 
She  was  followed  by  an  equally  fat  husband 
who  tripped  in  behind  her.  He  wore  a  black 
*'  imperial,"  and  his  little  finger  was  decorated 
by  an  enormously  long  nail,  the  care  of  which 
occupied  much  of  his  leisure  time.  To  judge 
from  his  voice  he  was  not  a  prejudiced  total 
abstainer. 

Behind  this  couple  there  presently  appeared 
the  figure  of  the  Commander.  All  bowed 
low,  and  deferentially  made  way  for  him  to 
pass  as  he  strode  towards  Rittmeister  Konig 
and  his  wife.  Colonel  von  Kronau's  crooked 
legs  and  harsh  face  could  hardly  be  said  to 
give  to  him  the  appearance  of  distinction  which 
one  expects  in  the  commander  of  a  regiment ; 

6 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

in  mufti  he  might  have  been  mistaken  for 
a  small  farmer,  a  station  with  which  his 
language  was  quite  in  keeping. 

Then,  too,  he  always  had  a  tear  gathering 
in  his  eye,  and  it  was  his  habit  when  it 
reached  a  suitable  size,  with  an  automatic 
shake  of  his  head,  to  flick  it  to  the  feet 
or  on  the  clothes  of  the  person  with  whom 
he  was  talking.  The  lady  who  followed 
him,  with  a  forbidding  face  and  an  ill-fitting 
grey  dress,  trimmed  with  a  red  velvet  collar, 
was  his  wife. 

The  rest  of  the  company  now  arrived, 
headed  by  First  Lieutenant  Borgert.  He 
rarely  looked  anyone  whom  he  favoured 
with  his  conversation  straight  in  the  face. 
Though  rather  stout,  his  figure  was  supple 
and  well  made.  Behind  him  stood  First 
Lieutenant  Leimann,  a  small,  rather  mis- 
shapen man,  with  a  pear-shaped  head  wedged 
in  between  two  high  shoulders.  His  little 
pig's  eyes  glanced  furtively  about  or  were 
so  contracted  together  that  they  quite  dis- 
appeared from  view.  The  single  eyeglass, 
which  swung  from  a  cord,  he  did  not  dare 
to  use,  for  fear  of  making  himself  ridiculous. 

These  two  gentlemen  Uved  in  the  same 
house  and  were   very  intimate,   and   the   fact 

7 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

of  both  being  perennially  and  chronically 
hard  up  was  possibly  the  bond  of  sympathy, 
though  it  must  be  confessed  that  it  did  not 
prevent  their  gratifying  every  whim ;  and, 
indeed,  they  Hved  as  if  heirs  to  great 
riches. 

"  I  hope  you  will  excuse  my  wife,  gnadige 
Frau,"  Leimann  said  to  Frau  Konig,  "  but 
she  is  suffering  from  her  usual  trouble,  a 
nervous  headache."  As  he  said  this  he 
looked  as  if  he  doubted  his  own  excuse. 
"  Of  course  she  will  come  later  on,  as  soon 
as  she  feels  better." 

"I  am  so  sorry,"  Frau  Clara  answered 
pleasantly,  "  and  I  hope  the  headache  will 
not  last  long.  I  shall  be  so  glad  to  see  your 
wife." 

Now  that  Httle  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu,  the 
closest  friend  of  the  family  and  the  only  sub- 
altern who  belonged  to  Rittmeister  Konig's 
squadron,  had  also  arrived,  dinner  was 
announced,  and  the  guests  passed  into  the 
dining-room  and  sat  down  at  the  prettily- 
decorated  table. 

The  silence  was  at  first  rather  oppressive, 
but  no  sooner  were  the  plates  filled  than 
conversation  became  more  animated. 

"  The  weather  has  been  so  beautiful  these 
8 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON   TOWN 

last  days  that  we  really  can  soon  begin  tennis," 
said  the  wife  of  Colonel  von  Kronau. 

"  Certainly,"  replied  the  Colonel,  his 
mouth  full ;  "I  shall  call  a  meeting  of  the 
Club  next  week,  and  then  we  can  go 
ahead." 

"  How  perfectly  delightful !  "  Frau  Stark 
cried  in  ecstasy.  "  I  adore  tennis,  I  do 
hope  you  all  do !  You  used  to  be  so  keen 
about  it,  dear  Httle  Frau  Kahle.  What  do 
you  think,  Frau  Konig  ?  " 

"  I  let  it  alone  ;  it  doesn't  suit  me  " 

"  And  your  husband  ?  " 

"  I  never  play  tennis,"  the  Rittmeister 
replied  ;  "  I  don't  understand  the  game,  but 
I  rather  Hke  to  look  on  when  the  women 
who  play  are  graceful." 

Frau  Stark's  Hps  came  together  with  a 
snap,  and  she  glanced  furiously  across  at  the 
Captain.  What  did  he  mean  by  his  ''graceful 
women  "  ?  Was  it  an  impertinent  allusion  to 
her  ?  It  really  served  her  right,  for  it  was 
perfectly  ridiculous  to  see  how  this  elderly 
person  put  on  the  airs  and  graces  of  a  young 
girl.  In  her  old  age  she  had  even  mounted 
an  old  regimental  hack  in  order  to  learn  to 
ride  because  the  other  ladies  did. 

"  I  dare  say  a  good  many  civilians  will 
9 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

join/'  the  Colonel  continued.  "  I  will  send 
the  list  round." 

The  guests  looked  incredulously  at  each 
other,  for  the  Colonel  was  on  the  worst 
conceivable  terms  with  the  civiHans  for  many 
reasons,  and  was  always  avoided  by  them  on 
every  possible  occasion. 

"  111  join,"  Landrat  von  Konradi  inter- 
posed, "  unless  it  gets  too  hot.  But  I  can't 
play  next  week.  I  have  no  time.  I  must 
stick  my  peas,  or  it  will  be  too  late." 

"To  be  sure,"  Rittmeister  Konig  ac- 
quiesced, "  or  they  will  not  ripen." 

"  What !  Peas  won't  ripen  ?  Peas  always 
ripen  if  they  are  properly  planted,"  the  Colonel's 
wife  retorted  in  some  heat. 

"  But,  dear  lady,  you  can't  be  positively 
sure.  So  many  things  have  to  be  taken  into 
account." 

"  No,  not  at  all,  Herr  Rittmeister.  I  have  a 
method  by  which  they  always  must  ripen." 

''  I  shall  be  curious  to  know  what  it  is,  for 
la^t  year  nearly  all  my  peas  were  spoilt." 

"  They  have  to  be  planted  by  moonshine, 
and  not  a  word  must  be  spoken  ;  then  they 
always  do  well.  Mine  do  I  am  not  a  bit 
superstitious,  but  you  can  believe  what  I  tell 

you." 

10 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

When  the  Colonel's  wife  made  an  assertion 
it  took  some  courage  to  contradict  her,  but 
Lieutenant  Bleibtreu  ventured  to  say  with  a 
smile  : 

"  I  suppose,  then,  if  someone  were  to  plant 
pork  in  between  in  the  sunshine,  the  result 
would  be  pork  and  peas." 

'*  You  think  yourself  very  clever,  Lieu- 
tenant Bleibtreu,  and  you  can  make  all  the 
fun  you  please,  but  it  is  true  all  the  same," 
the  Colonel's  wife  retorted  spitefully.  "  Be- 
sides, I  have  no  time  next  week,  for  my 
foie-gras  are  not  done." 

"  You  cook  them  yourself,  do  you  ?  "  the^ 
Adjutant  asked,  deeply  interested. 

"  Of  course.  I  always  put  up  six  jars.  My 
husband  simply  adores  the  stuff." 

"  From  whom  do  you  buy  your  truffles  ?  I 
am  myself  trying  to  find  a  reliable  source." 

"  What — truffles  !  It  tastes  just  as  good 
without  truffles.    That  is  only  imagination." 

"  But,  dear  lady,  the  truffles  are  the  most 
important  part  of  all." 

"  Nonsense  !     I  never  use  truffles." 

*'  Goose  livers,"  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu  inter- 
posed banteringly,  "  should  be  cooked  during 
an  eclipse  of  the  moon,  and  that  will  turn  them 
a  beautiful  brown." 

II 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  You  may  laugh  if  you  wish,  but  it  is  true  all 
the  same." 

And  so  it  seemed,  for  no  one  ventured  on 
further  contradiction.  But  the  Colonel's  wife 
had  to  put  a  curb  on  her  eloquence,  for  all 
now  rose  to  greet  the  wife  of  Lieutenant 
Leimann.  She  stood  in  the  doorway  of  the 
dining-room,  an  enchanting  smile  on  her  fresh 
young  face. 

"  You  must  not  be  angry,  Frau  Konig.  I 
really  did  have  such  important  letters  to  write. 
But  do,  pray,  all  be  seated  again." 

"  We  thought  you  had  a  headache,"  everybody 
exclaimed. 

"  Headache  ?  Of  course — so  I  had.  But  one 
forgets  when  one  has  them  so  often." 

She  was  very  young,  only  twenty-five,  and 
very  beautiful,  and  she  was  dressed  in  exquisite 
taste.  She  seated  herself  opposite  Lieutenant 
Borgert. 

Conversation  now  became  more  general ; 
everybody  talked  and  did  justice  to  the  good 
things  set  before  them,  especially  to  Labskaus, 
a  dish  of  stewed  tripe,  for  which  Frau  Clara's 
cook  was  famous. 

The  Adjutant  had  only  opened  his  mouth 
to  stuff  in  huge  lumps,  and  an  occasional 
unintelligible    grunt    testified    to    his    complete 

12 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

satisfaction.  He  was  still  eating  when  the 
hostess  finally  rose.  There  was  a  general 
wishing  of  "  Gesegnete  Mahlzeit,"  and  then 
everybody  strolled  into  the  adjoining  rooms, 
where  coffee  was  served  to  the  ladies,  and 
liqueurs,  beer  and  cigars  to  the  gentlemen. 

The  guests  again  gathered  in  groups,  and 
the  Colonel  seemed  to  think  the  occasion 
favourable  for  an  official  discussion  with  his 
Adjutant.  He  thereupon  strolled  into  the  next 
room,  where  he  engaged  in  a  very  animated 
conversation  with  Frau  Stark,  but,  as  it  was 
carried  on  in  rather  low  tones,  only  an 
occasional  sentence  could  reach  Lieutenant 
Borgert's  ears,  who  was  listening. 

"  You  must  succeed !  "  he  heard  the  lady 
whisper. 

"  I  hope  the  inspection  will  prove  satis- 
factory," the  Colonel  repHed,  "  but  since  last 
time  the  inspecting  officers  are  on  the  look- 
out for  your  husband ;  they  began  in  the 
stables  by  being  dissatisfied  with  the  con- 
dition of  the  straw." 

"I  go  through  the  stable  every  morning, 
and  I  tell  you  I  make  'em  step  lively  there  ! 
But  of  course  I  can't  help  it  if  my  husband 
loses  his  head  during  inspection.  Last  time 
I    watched    the    whole    thing    through    field- 

13 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

glasses,  and  all  went  well  to  almost  the  end, 
when  the  line  broke  in  wheeling.  Besides, 
he  gave  the  wrong  word  of  command." 

"  Well,  we  will  hope  for  the  best  !  But, 
you  see,  if  one  wishes  to  become  a  Major 
it  means  redoubled  attention  and  care,  for 
if  anything  goes  wrong,  one's  superiors  are 
down  on  one  at  once." 

"  I  don't  care,  Colonel ;  my  husband  has 
got  to  be  made  a  Major,  and  if  you  drop  us 
—why " 

"  There,  don't  worry,  dear  lady !  Without 
any  justification  whatever  I  have  written 
him  a  good  conduct  report,  which  is  simply 
brilliant.  So  you  see  I  am  doing  my 
best." 

"  But  you  owe  me  that,  Colonel,  for  with- 
out me  you  might  not  be — never  mind,  but 
you  know." 

Here  Captain  Konig  came  towards  them. 

"  Shall  you  join  our  wine-sampling  trip 
down  the  Moselle  next  week,  Colonel  ? 
Landrat  von  Konradi  is  going,  and  I  hear 
that  some  wonderful  vintages  afe  to  be  for 
sale." 

"  Of  course,  my  dear  K5nig ;  you  know 
I  am  always  ready  for  anything  of  the  kind. 
Besides,   I  enjoy  a  wine  trip  with   you ;    you 

14 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

have  proved   to-night,    not  for   the   first   time, 
that  you  are  indeed  a  connoisseur." 

"  Really,  you  are  too  flattering,  Hen* 
Oberst !  But  I  see  you  are  not  smoking.  You 
will  find  everything  you  need  in  my  room." 

The  Colonel  strolled  into  the  next  room, 
where  Frau  Kahle  and  Lieutenant  Pommer 
were  chatting  in  one  corner,  while  several 
young  men  surrounded  Frau  Konig  in 
another. 

Just  then  Lieutenant  Leimann  came  in 
from  the  dining-room  followed  by  his  wife, 
whose  sulky  face  brightened  as  Lieutenant 
Borgert  approached  her  and  engaged  her  in 
conversation. 

*'  What  domestic  affairs  have  been  bother- 
ing you  now,  dear  lady  ?  " 

"  Me  ?  Nothing  of  the  kind,  only  my 
husband  has  been  rather  abusive  for  a 
change.  You  know  his  ill-bred  way  of 
becoming  insulting  all  at  once." 

"  What  is  the  matter  now  ?  I  should  have 
thought  the  quarrel  of  this  afternoon  might 
have  been  sufficient." 

"He  is  furious  now  because  I  said  I  had 
to  write  letters  after  he  gave  as  excuse  that 
I  had  a  headache.  I  am  sick  to  death  of 
these  eternal  quarrels." 

15 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Sufficient  ground  that  for  divorce,  gnadige 
Frau,"  Lieutenant  Borgert  replied,  laughing. 
"  Choose  another  husband  if  this  one  doesn't 
suit  you." 

"  It's  easy  enough  to  make  fun,  but  you 
don't  know  how  I  sometimes  loathe  it  all." 

"  So  much '  the  better,  gnadige  Frau. 
Choose  among  the  noblest  of  the  land. 
Possibly  I  might  suggest  someone." 

*'  Fire  away,  then ! "  Frau  Leimann  cried, 
with  a  roguish  upward  glance. 

"  Well,  I  know  someone.  What  would  you 
say  to  me  ?  " 

''  It's  worth  considering ;  but  first,  what 
have  you  to  offer  ?  " 

"  Let  us  sit  down  and  discuss  this  very 
serious  matter,"  Borgert  answered,  laughing, 
and  led  the  way  to  a  sofa. 

''  Now,  listen.  I  offer  you  a  noble  estab- 
lishment, horses  and  carriages,  a  villa  on  the 
lake  of  Zurich  and  an  army  of  servants." 

"  And  who  is  to  pay  for  all  this  ?  " 

*'  Pay  ?  Why,  who  pays  nowadays  ?  It's 
quite  out  of  fashion  and  bad  form  ;  it  is  the 
way  in  which  people  squander  most  of  their 
money.  I  never  pay,  and  yet  I  gratify 
every  wish." 

"That  is  all  very  delightful,"  Frau  Lei- 
i6 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

mann   laughed ;     "  but   you   see   there   is   my 
husband." 

"To  be  sure  he  is  still  yours,  but  in  the 
meantime  you  might  get  accustomed  to  me." 

Frau  Leimann  nodded  and  smiled,  then, 
with  her  head  in  her  hand,  stared  dreamily 
at  the  carpet. 

Borgert  too  had  suddenly  grown  grave, 
and  the  other  guests  having  left  the  room, 
his  eyes  sought  hers. 

"  Why  do  you  look  at  me  so,  Herr  Borgert  ? 
You  frighten  me." 

"  I  think  so  many  things  that  I  have  no 
right  to  speak  of,  gnadige  Frau.  A  great 
many  true  things  are  said  in  jest  and  for  that 
very  reason  strike  deeper." 

"  You  speak  in  riddles,  my  friend.  I  think 
we  had  better  change  the  subject.  Suppose 
we  follow  the  others.  There'll  be  talk  if 
they  find  us  sitting  alone." 

She  rose,  and  as  Borgert  hurriedly  raised 
her  hand  to  kiss  it  she  made  no  effort  to 
draw  it  away,  and  her  face  was  as  innocent 
and  unconscious  as  that  of  a  child,  when 
she  entered  the  music-room.  Borgert  did 
not  follow  her.  He  remained  behind,  and 
in  the  dim  light  took  a  letter  out  of  his  coat 
pocket  and  read  it.     Then  with  a  suppressed 

17  c 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

oath  he  thrust  it  back  and  sat  there  lost  in 
thought. 

In  the  meantime  the  next  room  had 
become  very  Hvely.  The  sound  of  fiddles, 
the  deep  tuning  of  a  violoncello,  and  a  few 
chords  from  the  piano  summoned  all  the 
guests  together,  for  now  the  musical  part  of 
the  evening  was  about  to  begin.  Rittmeister 
Konig  sat  at  the  harmonium,  while  his  wife 
accompanied  him  on  the  piano.  Landrat 
von  Konradi  and  Lieutenant  Leimann  stood 
ready,  their  violins  under  their  chins,  while 
Lieutenant  Bleibtreu,  with  his  'cello  between 
his  knees,  had  retired  into  the  background. 

The  listeners,  on  big  and  Httle  chairs, 
gathered  about  the  fireplace  and  the  table, 
which  was  covered  with  beer  glasses,  and 
there  waited  with  an  air  of  expectation. 

The  music  began :  a  trio  of  Reinhardt. 
It  sounded  very  well,  for  '  they  had  all 
practised  most  industriously,  and  the  effect 
was  pleasant.  To  be  sure  the  Landrat  had 
a  little  habit  of  balancing  himself  first  on  one 
foot  and  then  on  the  other  in  time  to  his 
bowing,  and  he  also  accompanied  his  per- 
formance by  rather  disturbing  grunts.  Lei- 
mann, too,  belonged  to  the  class  of  artists 
whom  it  is  really  painful  to  watch,  for  fear  of 

i8 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

spoiling  one's  pleasure,  for  his  head  had 
quite  disappeared  between  his  shoulders  and 
his  doubled-up  figure  looked  more  than  ever 
mis-shapen.  The  violoncellist  occasionally 
struck  a  few  false  notes,  but  to  make  up 
for  this  he  always  played  the  next  following 
bars  with  redoubled  vigour  to  prove  that,  in 
spite  of  accidents,  he  was  the  master  of  his 
instrument.  The  trio  was  followed  by  solos 
for  each  violinist,  and  these  by  a  rhapsody 
of  Liszt,  splendidly  performed  by  Rittmeister 
Konig  and  his  wife.  There  was  a  chorus  of 
approval  at  the  end,  and  everybody  tried  to 
show  how  much  they  knew  about  music  by  being 
very  critical. 

"  My  dear  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu,"  Frau 
Stark  cried,  "  you  really  must  give  me  some 
violoncello  lessons.  I  used  to  play  when  I  was 
young,  but  I  am  afraid  I  have  forgotten  it  all 
now." 

No  one  doubted  for  an  instant  that  it  was 
a  good  long  time  since  the  days  of  her  youth, 
and  Konig  whispered  to  Bleibtreu  that  her 
fat  fingers  would  never  be  able  to  produce  a 
tone. 

In  the  meantime  Borgert  had  strolled 
towards  the  entrance  of  the  room,  and  from 
there   he   looked   at   his   fellow-guests   with   an 

19  c  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

expression  of  unutterable  boredom.  Occa- 
sionally he  turned  a  watchful  glance  on  Frau 
Leimann,  who,  sunk  in  a  low,  deep  arm-chair, 
was  staring  before  her  with  dreamy,  half-closed 
eyes. 

The  artists  having  now  joined  the  other  guests 
at  the  table,  conversation  started  afresh,  but 
about  ordinary,  everyday  matters,  in  which 
Frau  von  Kronau  took  the  leading  part,  for 
she  was  an  intolerable  chatterbox. 

The  time  passed  very  quickly ;  but  when 
the  clock  pointed  to  half-past  ten  the 
Colonel  looked  with  conjugal  emphasis  at 
his  wife,  who  nodded,  rose,  and  turned  to 
her  hostess. 

"  Dear  Frau  Konig,  it  was  lovely  of  you  to 
give  us  such  a  delightful  evening  ;  but  it  is  so 
late,  we  really  must  go.  Thank  you  so  much," 
and  she  shook  Frau  Konig's  hand. 

"  Going  already  ?  But  it  is  not  eleven 
o'clock  yet.  You  really  might  stay  a 
moment  longer." 

However,  as  soon  as  Frau  Konig  saw  the 
Colonel,  the  Starks  and  the  Landrat  taking 
leave  of  the  other  guests,  she  gave  up  all 
further  entreaty,  glad,  in  her  heart,  to  have 
only  a  small  circle  left  about  her  with  whom 
conversation    might    be    carried    on    without 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

weighing  every  word  for  fear  the  Colonel 
would  not  approve,  the  possible  result  of 
which  might  be  a  sharp  official  reprimand 
the  next  day.  The  Colonel  was  rather 
notorious  for  this. 

As  soon  as  the  guests  had  left  the  house, 
those  who  remained  drew  their  chairs  closer 
together  and  fresh  glasses  of  beer  were 
passed. 

Borgert  was  the  first  to  break  the  silence. 

"  Did  you  notice  how  that  Stark  woman 
whispered  to  the  Colonel  ?  She  ought  to 
leave  her  bad  manners  at  home,  where  I 
hear  they  are  not  very  particular.  Imagine  ! 
I  was  there  the  other  day  just  as  Stark  flung 
a  slipper  at  her.  She  had  come  in  to  receive 
me  in  a  very  dirty  house-dress." 

"  That  is  nothing,"  Leimann  interrupted. 
"  They  were  having  one  of  their  usual  rows 
before  me  when  the  old  fathead  shut  her  up 
with  *  Hold  your  jaw  ! '  " 

"  It  would  appear  that  their  ways  are  not 
the  ways  of  peace,"  the  Adjutant  added. 
"  Day  before  yesterday  Stark  got  rather 
drunk  at  the  '  White  Swan,'  and  by  the  time 
he  was  well  fuddled  his  wife  came  in,  kicked 
up  a  row  and  carried  him  off,  while  every- 
body  roared   with   laughter.      I   don't    believe 

21 


LIFE  jIN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

they  kissed  each  other  when  they  got 
home/' 

"  That  happens  often  enough,"  another 
chimed  in.  "  She  fetches  him  home  from 
the  casino  to  dinner,  and  calls  him  a  '  beast ' 
before  the  orderly." 

"  Ah  well,"  said  Konig,  "  she  is  taking  the 
best  of  care  of  her  husband,  for  he  wants  to 
become  a  Major  or,  rather,  she  wishes  to 
become  '  Major.'  " 

'*  But  that  is  perfectly  impossible,"  Borgert 
cried  indignantly ;  "if  this  incompetent  ass 
becomes  Major  I  ought  to  be  made  a  General. 
But  everyone  can  see  that  the  Colonel  is 
doing  all  in  his  power  for  him." 

"  He  has  a  mighty  good  reason  for  that," 
Leimann  said  with  emphasis. 

"  What  reason  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  know  the  story  ?  Why,  the 
very  sparrows   twitter   it   on  the  house-tops." 

"  No,  do  tell  us ;  this  is  really  wildly 
interesting,"  and  Borgert  rubbed  his  hands 
and  moved  his  chair  closer  to  his  friend. 

"  Last  year,  it  seems,  the  Colonel,  with  his 
usual  notorious  want  of  tact,  very  grossly 
insulted  a  civilian.  The  latter  at  once  sent 
him  a  challenge.  Now  the  good  Colonel 
did  not   enjoy  that   at   all,   for   though  he  is 

22 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 


very  ready  with  his  tongue,  as  you  know, 
when  there  is  any  risk  his  heart  sinks  down 
into  his  boots.  So  the  result  was  that  his 
dear  friend,  the  Stark  woman,  goes  to  this 
gentleman  and  tells  him  that  she  alone  is  to 
blame  for  the  insult  because  she  had  told  a 
lie.  In  this  way  she  saved  the  Colonel's  life, 
for  the  other  man  is  a  dead  shot.  And  now 
she  has  him  well  under  her  thumb,  and 
when  she  commands  he  obeys  her  like  a 
lap-dog." 

"  That  is  glorious,"  cried  Borgert.  "  Do 
you  know  any  more  stories  ?  It's  high  time 
that  we  got  rid  of  these  arrogant  creatures  ! 
He  has  the  manners  of  a  stable-boy  and  she 
of  a  washerwoman.  I  mean  to  be  on  the  watch 
to  see  what  I  can  find  out.  It's  a  shame 
that  we  have  to  stand  this  woman." 

'*  She  is  also  said  to  have  been  on  very 
intimate  terms  with  some  nobleman  or  other, 
at  least  so  the  story  goes." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  " 

"My  man  told  me  the  other  day.  He  is 
from  her  part  of  the  country." 

"  Just  think  of  it !    I  shall  really  have  to 
make  inquiries  myself,  for  of  course  she  isn't 
worth  paying  a  detective  to  do  so  !    The  .  .  .  ! 
23 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Well,  the  word  on  my  tongue  is  not  permissible 
in  polite  circles." 

"  But  I  am  surprised  that  she  has  the 
cheek  to  give  herself  such  airs,  considering 
her  antecedents." 

"  That's  just  her  way,"  Miiller  interposed 
with  some  importance. 

'*  And  her  carriage — such  a  story.  She 
picked  up  the  frightful  old  thing  somewhere, 
put  her  man  up  behind  in  top  hat  and 
yellow  boots,  borrowed  two  old  regimental 
hacks,  and  then  drives  herself,  for  our  edifica- 
tion. You  should  see  the  springs  give  when 
the  fat  old  thing  sits  there.  The  Colonel,  of 
course,  never  dares  to  say  a  word,  even  when 
she  borrows  a  troop  horse  every  day,  though 
it  is  distinctly  forbidden  by  the  regulations. 
If  any  one  else  takes  a  liberty  he  is  in  for 
three  days'  arrest  and  the  Colonel  thinks 
himself  immense.  He  is  a  weak  vessel,  the 
Colonel,  and  he  lies  like  print 

*'  He  told  a  man  I  know  how  popular  he  is 
with  the  civilians,  and  how  his  tennis-court 
is  always  crowded.  The  truth  is,  he  nearly 
always  plays  alone,  for  these  people  all  steer 
clear  of  him  if  they  can." 

"  I  bet  that  the  Colonel  will  join  a  service 
24 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

conference  to  the  next  meeting  of  the  tennis- 
club  committee,  and  so  we  shall  all  be  caught 

in  the  trap." 

*  *  * 

During  this  conversation,  Frau  Leimann 
Hstened  with  sparkling  eyes  as  Lieutenant 
Borgert  picked  to  pieces  the  Colonel  and 
the  Starks  in  his  usual  spirited  way,  while 
Captain  Konig  pulled  thoughtfully  at  his 
cigar  and  smothered  a  yawn,  and  his  wife, 
lost  in  thought,  played  absently  with  a  tassel 
of  the  table-cloth. 

"  Why  so  serious,  dear  lady  ?  "  and  Borgert 
turned  to  her. 

"  I  was  wondering  how  you  would  talk  about 
us  if  some  day  we  should  cease  to  be  on  good 
terms,"  she  said  with  a  smile. 

"  But,  gnadige  Frau,  how  can  you  so  doubt 
my  good  manners  !  Have  you  no  confidence 
in  me  ?     Besides,  how  could  I " 

He  interrupted  himself,  for  Frau  Kahle 
had  risen  to  take  leave,  and  with  her  Lieu- 
tenant Pommer,  whom  she  had  asked  to  escort 
her  as  far  as  her  house,  since  her  husband  was 
away  on  duty. 

So  the  circle  again  grew  smaller,  and,  as 
they  sat  down  at  the  table,  Borgert  re- 
marked : 

25 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  One  might  really  offer  a  new  dress  to 
this  Kahle,  with  her  cobbler  boy's  face.  She 
never  seems  to  have  anything  else  to  wear  but 
that  washed-out  old  rag." 

"  You  should  see  her  in  her  own  house/' 
Miiller  said  with  great  scorn  ;  "  there  she 
looks  Hke  a  drab  of  a  servant.  She  doesn't 
even  seem  to  have  time  to  mend  her  dirty 
house-dress,  and  her  boy  tears  about  like  a 
regular  gutter-snipe  out  of  the  slums.  Be- 
sides that,  the  rascal  can  already  He  like 
fun  !  " 

"  An  inheritance  from  his  mother,"  Bor- 
gert  laughed,  but  a  cold  and  reproachful  glance 
from  Frau  Konig  silenced  him. 

So  the  conversation  gradually  dropped  ofi. 
The  Captain  yawned  with  more  emphasis, 
and  Lieutenant  Leimann,  all  in  a  heap  in 
an  arm-chair,  could  only  keep  his  eyes  open 
with  the  greatest  difficulty,  while  his  wife 
was  so  unfeignedly  bored  that  her  face  lost 
all  its  chaim  and  beauty,  and  she  looked  old 
and  haggard.  Miiller  was  still  occupied  in 
digesting,  and  so  it  really  did  seem  time  to 
go  home. 

Amid  hvely  expressions  of  gratitude  for 
the  dehghtful  evening,  they  all  separated, 
and    Captain    Konig    accompanied    his    guests 

26 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

downstairs  so  as  to  bolt  the  front  door  after 
them. 

When  he  returned  to  the  sitting-room  he 
said  to  Frau  Clara  as  he  put  out  the  gas, 
"  A  very  interesting  evening ;  but  it  would  be 
well  to  beware  of  those  two  gentlemen." 


27 


Chapter  II 


*^  "*^     '"^■^  ERE,  you,  Corporal  Meyer,  please 
to  clear  away  the  manure  ;   it's 


H 


a  disgraceful  filth  !  What,  the 
stable  guard  isn't  here  ?  Then 
do  it  yourself,  it  won't  make  you  lose  a  pearl 
out  of  your  crown  !  Hurry  up,  you  !  Then 
bring  me  the  parole-book." 

"  At  your  service,  gnadige  Frau." 

Frau  Rittmeister  Stark  strode  up  and 
down  the  stable,  followed  by  two  huge  rough 
dogs.  She  wore  a  very  dirty,  ill-fitting  grey 
riding  habit  and  a  round  hat.  In  her  right 
hand  she  held  a  riding-whip  with  which, 
every  now  and  then,  she  gave  a  vicious  cut 
at  the  air,  which  made  the  dogs  creep  behind 
her  in  terror. 

She  examined  everything  with  sharp  eyes, 
the  straw,  the  slates  with  the  horse's  name 
over  each  stall,  and  carefully  studied  the 
black-board  on  which  the  day's  duties  were 
written  in  chalk. 

She  paused  behind  two  horses,  the  only 
ones  left  in  the  stable,  and  looked  with 
angry  eyes  at  the  lean,  badly-groomed  beasts 

28 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

whose   scraggy   hips    formed    a    sharp    triangle 
with  their  cruppers. 

She  raised  the  hind  foot  of  one  gelding, 
took  a  note-book  out  of  her  pocket  and 
wrote :  "  Remus  No.  37  thrush,  near  fore- 
foot needs  shoeing."  Whereupon  she  climbed 
the  ladder  to  the  hay-loft.  There  lay  two 
of  the  stable-guards  sleeping  sweetly,  quite 
unconscious  of  the  presence  of  the  mother 
of  the  regiment.  She  bore  down  on  the 
frightened  men  in  a  fury. 

"  You  idle  curs  !  Go  to  work,  or  Fll  make 
it  hot  for  you,  you  lazy  scoundrels !  *'  and 
they  flew  to  the  chaff-cutter  as  if  the  devil 
himself  were  behind  them.  Then  she  went 
down  again  to  meet  Corporal  Meyer,  who 
hurried  towards  her  breathlessly,  holding  out 
the  parole-book. 

"  Hold  it  while  I  read,  if  you  please  ;    you 
don't  suppose  I  want  to  dirty  my  hands  with 
the  filthy  cover  ?     I  see  to-morrow  is  inspec- 
tion    of     the     saddlery.       Is     everything     in 
order  ?  " 
"  I  will  ask  the  Sergeant-Major." 
"  Hurry  up,  then  !    Fetch  him  !    Run  !  " 
The     Sergeant-Ma  j  or     was     anything     but 
pleased  to  have  his  leisure  disturbed,  for  the 
time    when    the    squadron    was    out    drilling 
29 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

was  for  him  the  pleasant  est  part  of  the  day. 
He  was  sitting  opposite  his  wife  drinking  a 
cup  of  coffee  and  comfortably  smoking  his 
morning  cigar  as  Meyer  delivered  Frau 
Stark's  command.  He  stamped  his  foot 
and  he  howled  with  rage. 

"  What  does  the  old  woman  mean  !  Upon 
my  word,  she  acts  as  if  she  were  in  com- 
mand !  It's  scandalous  to  have  to  stand  it, 
but  if  one  don't  there'll  be  the  devil  to  pay 
with  the  Colonel ;  he  dances  to  her  piping  !  " 

He  sullenly  buckled  on  his  sword,  flung 
his  cap  on  his  bald  head,  went  grumbhng 
down-stairs,  and  lounged  slowly  across  the 
barrack  yard  and  confronted  Frau  Stark 
with  a  face  on  which  was  distinctly  written  : 
"  You  can  go  to  the  devil !  " 

She  pounced  on  him  at  once. 

"  Is  everything  ready  for  to-morrow, 
Sergeant-Ma j  or  ?  " 

*'  I  think  so,  but  I'll  see  about  it  again 
to-night." 

"  What — ^to-night  ?  It  is  to  be  done  at 
once ;  I'll  soon  put  an  end  to  your  loafing  ! 
Besides,  if  you  don't  change  your  grumpy 
tones,  I'll  report  you  to  the  Colonel  I  Now 
fetch  my  horse  !  " 

"  It  has  been  sent  out  for  forage  ;    all  the 
30 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

horses    have    gone    except    these    two    lame 
ones." 

*'  My  horse  sent  out  for  forage  ?  This  is 
a  new  form  of  impertinence  !  Send  for  it  at 
once  :  it  won't  hurt  one  of  the  corporals  to 
walk  !  " 

At  the  sound  of  footsteps  she  turned,  and, 
seeing  Lieutenant  Borgert,  called  to  him  in 
the  sweetest  tones. 

"  Surely  I  am  not  mistaken,  dear  Lieu- 
tenant Borgert — it  is  you  !  How  early  you 
are  on  duty !  I  only  came  to  bring  my 
husband's  horses  some  sugar,  but  they've 
already  gone  ;  my  dear  husband  always  starts 
so  frightfully  early  in  the  morning." 

"  I  really  admire  the  interest  you  take  in 
the  squadron,  gnadige  Frau,  and  especially 
the  way  in  which  you  give  your  orders  in 
the  stable." 

'*  Orders  ?  I  don't  give  any  orders.  I 
only  come  once  in  a  while  to  give  the 
Sergeant-Ma j  or  any  instructions  my  husband 
may  have  forgotten.  Still,  one  must  take  an 
interest  in  one's  squadron." 

"I  see  you  are  your  husband's  corporal, 
dear  lady,  but  a  corporal  who  commands 
the  regiment.  I  congratulate  you  on  your 
advancement !  " 

31 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Oh,  you  funny  man  !  How  you  do  love 
a  joke !  Shall  we  see  you  at  the  casino 
to-night  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  gnadige  Frau,  for  the  Colonel 
has  already  ordered  a  service  conference  at 
five/' 

"To  be  sure — I  had  nearly  forgotten.  But 
that  will  not  take  long  ;  there  are  only  a  few 
unimportant  matters." 

"  Then  you  know " 

"  Of  course.  One  can't  help  being  in- 
terested. I  have  brought  several  things  to 
the  Colonel's  attention,  which  he  may  wish 
to  discuss." 

"  I  wonder  what  they  can  be  !  But  there 
is  Captain  Konig ;  I  must  speak  to  him. 
Good  morning." 

"  Adieu,  dear  Borgert,  and  au  revoir  " — and 
she  held  up  her  hand  to  his  mouth,  in  a  dirty 
old  riding-glove  of  her  husband's. 

As  Frau  Stark  again  turned  to  the 
Sergeant-Ma  j  or,  Borgert  hurried  after  the 
Captain,  who  had  just  gone  into  the  yard 
of  the  3rd  Squadron. 

"  Good  morning,  Herr  Rittmeister !  Do 
forgive  me  for  troubling  you,  but  a  matter  of 
the  most  vital  importance  compels  me  to  ask 
a  favour  of  you." 

32 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Well,  what  is  it  ?  "  the  Captain  de- 
manded in  some  surprise.  "Is  it  really  so 
important  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  that  the  Colonel  will  speak 
of  the  casino  bills  this  afternoon,  and  it 
would  be  extremely  painful  for  me  should  he 
mention  my  name  before  the  junior  officers." 

"  But  I  cannot  give  you  the  money  now ; 
it  was  hard  enough  to  scrape  together  the 
one  hundred  marks  that  I  gave  you  last 
week." 

"  But  if,  in  spite  of  that,  I  urgently  repeat 
my  request,  it  is  because  I  am  in  a  very 
unfortunate  position.  If  I  cannot  get  four 
hundred  marks  by  to-night  it  will  be  most 
annoying  for  me,  and  the  consequences  may 
be  terrible." 

"  That  is  all  very  well  and  good " — and 
Konig  shrugged  his  shoulders  ;  "  but  I  have 
no  money." 

For  a  moment  they  looked  at  each  other 
in  silence,  then  Borgert  spoke,  but  with  some 
hesitation  : 

*'  Might  I  be  permitted  to  offer  a  suggestion, 
Herr  Rittmeister  ?  " 

'*  And  what  may  that  be  ?  " 

"  I  beg  you  not  to  misunderstand  what  I 
am  about  to  say.  Could  you  not  make  use 
33  D 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

of    the    money    in    the    squadron    cash-box, 
seeing  it  is  only  for  a  short  time  ?  " 

"  But  in  Heaven's  name,  my  dear  fellow, 
what  do  you  take  me  for  ?  You  don't 
expect  me  to  embezzle  the  money  in  the 
cash-box  ?  " 

"  But  surely  there  would  be  no  harm  in  it, 
Herr  Rittmeister,  for  you  alone  have  control 
of  it,  and  it  is  no  question  of  steaHng,  but 
simply  of  borrowing  a  sum  that  will  be  repaid 
almost  at  once." 

"  No,  no  ;  I  really  cannot." 

''  Then  there  is  nothing  left  for  me  to  do  !  " 
Borgert  cried  in  despair. 

Konig,  lost  in  thought,  twisted  his  mous- 
tache. It  might  be  wise  to  put  this  man 
under  an  obligation  to  himself.  He  had  a 
crafty,  dangerous  tongue,  and  his  unbounded 
influence  over  the  junior  officers  might  be 
very  harmful  if  it  came  to  a  quarrel.  The 
beggarly  four  hundred  marks  were  lying  idle 
in  his  desk  at  home,  so  he  could  easily  give 
them.  But  if  Borgert  could  be  made  to 
beUeve  that  the  money  had  been  taken  out 
of  the  regiment's  cash-box,  then  the  chances 
were  that  he  would  not  borrow  again  for  a 
time  in  face  of  the  dangers  and  disreputable 
means     taken     to     grant     his     request.       So 

34 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Captain  Konig  decided  to  lend  Borgert  the 
money  out  of  his  own  pocket,  but  to  let  him 
believe  it  had  been  given  him  out  of  the 
squadron  funds. 

"  Very  well,"  he  said  after  a  pause,  "  you 
shall  have  the  money.  By  when  will  you  be 
sure  to  repay  it  ?  " 

"  In  ten  days  all  will  be  plain  saihng. 
My  word  on  it." 

"  Good.  Then  you  can  come  to  the  office 
this  afternoon." 

"  My  most  grateful  thanks,  Herr  Ritt- 
meister." 

"  Never  mind,  never  mind ;  but  I  hope 
this  will  be  the  last  time.  Now  I  must 
hurry  ;  the  squadron  is  already  off." 

He  shook  hands  with  Borgert,  mounted 
his  horse,  and  trotted  out  of  the  barrack  yard. 

Borgert,  greatly  relieved,  hurried  home 
with  a  joyful  heart.  He  was  not  expected 
on  duty  till  ten  o'clock.  He  could  have 
hugged  the  man.  Such  a  decent  chap, 
always  ready  to  help  a  fellow  out  of  a  hole. 
Ten  days  was  a  long  time.  Something 
would  be  sure  to  turn  up  before  then. 

Leimann,  in  the  meantime,  was  waiting 
impatiently  in  Borgert 's  room,  but  when  he 
entered,  radiant,  his  face  cleared. 

35  D  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Did  he  do  it  ?  "  he  called  to  his  friend. 

"  Of  course  he  did,  without  a  word.  Go 
to  him  at  eleven  o'clock.  You  have  only 
two  hundred  marks  left  of  the  last  money 
you  borrowed.  Hell  do  it.  What  is  sauce 
for  the  goose  is  sauce  for  the  gander." 

That    afternoon,    as    the    two    friends    sat 

together  in  the  casino  over  a  bottle  of  wine, 

it   was   easy   to   see   by   Leimann's   boisterous 

hilarity    that    his    request    had    not    been    in 

vain. 

*  *  * 

Punctually  at  five  o'clock  all  the  officers  of 
the  regiment  in  full  uniform  were  assembled 
in  the  reading-room  of  the  casino  as  the 
Colonel  entered,  wearing  his  official  mien, 
and  received  from  his  officers  the  report, 
"  All  present." 

"  Gentlemen,"  the  autocrat  began,  "  I  have 
requested  your  presence  this  evening  to  dis- 
cuss certain  matters  with  you.  First,  I  must 
beg  you  to  wear  dancing  spurs  at  balls  and 
similar  functions,  so  as  to  avoid  such  un- 
pleasant accidents  as  happened  last  night.  A 
gentleman  whose  name  I  will  not  mention " 
— and  he  glared  at  Lieutenant  von  Meckel- 
burg — "  tore  off  with  his  spurs  the  entire 
hem    from    the    dress    of    the    wife    of    Herr 

36 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Rittmeister  Stark.  This  must  not  happen 
again,  gentlemen,  for,  if  it  should,  punish- 
ment will  certainly  follow.  Further,  it  is  not 
the  custom  among  well-bred  people  for  a 
gentleman  to  offer  his  hand  first  to  a  lady. 
Should,  however,  the  lady  offer  her  hand, 
then  politeness  requires  him,  in  the  circles 
in  which  we  move,  to  kiss  it.  The  com- 
plaints of  a  lady  of  the  regiment  prove  that 
some  of  you  gentlemen  are  still  so  backward 
in  your  education  that  this  must  be  brought 
to  your  notice."  This  referred  to  Lieutenant 
Bleibtreu,  who,  unwilling  to  kiss  Frau  Stark's 
dirty  dog-skin  glove,  which  had  been  soaked 
by  the  rain,  recently  declined  to  perform  this 
act  of  courtesy. 

The  Colonel  continued,  flicking  away  a 
tear :  "  Further,  gentlemen,  I  forbid  you  to 
go  to  any  other  town  without  permission.  Who- 
ever wishes  to  go  to  even  the  nearest  must 
ask  for  leave,  even  if  it  is  only  two  minutes 
away.  You  all  know  that  two  gentlemen 
of  this  regiment  had  to  send  in  their  resig- 
nations under  very  distressing  circumstances, 
as  they  had  made  the  place  too  hot  to 
hold  them,  and  contracted  debts  that  were 
appalling." 

"  May  I  be  permitted  to  ask  Colonel  von 
37 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Kronau  a  question  ?  "  Captain  Konig  inter- 
rupted. 

"  Most  certainly,  Herr  Rittmeister." 

"  Does  this  regulation  also  affect  the  married 
officers  and  their  presence  at  parties,  theatres, 
and  concerts  ?  " 

"  Of  course  !  I  mean  to  have  full  control  over 
you  all,  and  know  how  often  each  of  you 
leave  the  garrison  !  Insubordination  I  shall 
punish  according  to  the  criminal  code,  not 
as  mere  neglect  of  duty,  but  as  dehberate  dis- 
obedience to  orders  !  " 

There  was  a  pause,  during  which  the  Colonel 
took  out  his  handkerchief  and  wiped  his 
left  eye. 

As  he  looked  about  the  circle  to  observe 
the  effect  of  his  words,  he  seemed  to  read  in 
each  face  an  expression  of  amazement  and 
rebellion. 

This,  then,  was  the  result.  Because  two 
empty-headed  fools  had  broken  bounds,  all  the 
rest  of  the  officers  were  to  be  shut  up  in 
this  beggarly  hole  !  Their  only  recreations,  a 
concert  or  a  glass  of  beer,  were  also  about 
to  be  relegated  to  the  pleasant  might-have- 
beens  ;  for  who  would  be  willing  to  have 
every  drop  counted  that  he  drank  while  there  ? 
Rather  not  go  at  all.  Supposing  a  lady  of 
38 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

the  regiment  should  ask  her  husband  to 
accompany  her  to  the  neighbouring  town, 
shopping,  everything  there  being  cheaper  and 
better,  he  would  have  to  say,  "  I  can't  ;  I 
must  ask  permission,"  just  as  a  school-boy  asks 
his  master  if  he  wants  to  go  out.  That  is 
the  reward  for  being  a  Captain,  and  for  fifteen 
years  of  service. 

This  was  indeed  a  triumph  for  the  Colonel, 
and  a  signal  proof  of  his  ability  and  smart- 
ness as  a  commanding  officer.  All  that  was 
now  necessary  was  to  be  obliged  to  ask  per- 
mission even  to  drink  a  glass  of  beer  in  one's 
own  quarters.  That  might  come  later.  The 
Colonel  did  not  for  a  moment  consider  that 
he  was  giving  his  younger  officers  the  oppor- 
tunity of  disobeying  his  orders  when,  duty 
over,  they  cast  about  for  amusements  not 
provided  for  in  a  garrison  ;  rather  he  was 
convinced  that  he  was  the  inventor  of  a  new 
kind  of  discipline  and  means  of  enforcing 
mihtary  obedience. 

"  And  now,  gentlemen,  as  the  year  of 
office  is  over,  we  will  ballot  for  a  new 
director  of  the  casino  !  You,  Herr  Ritt- 
meister  Kahle,  held  the  position  all  last 
year,  and  I  am  glad  to  tell  you  that  the  way 
you  performed  your  duties  has  won  my 
39 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

entire  approval.  We  all,  gentlemen,  owe  a 
debt  of  gratitude  to  Captain  Kahle  for  the 
way  in  which  he  has  devoted  his  leisure  time 
to  improving  the  casino  1  He  has  increased 
our  funds,  and  he  has  made  many  alterations 
and  improvements.  It  seems  to  me,  there- 
fore, that  we  can  do  nothing  better  than 
urge  Captain  Kahle,  in  our  own  interest,  to 
retain  his  position.  Should  anyone  have  any 
other  suggestion,  then  we  will  ballot  by 
slips." 

The  murmur  of  approval  which  followed 
the  Colonel's  words  was  something  to  which 
he  was  quite  unaccustomed. 

"  I  consider  it  unnecessary,"  he  further 
continued,  "  to  audit  the  accounts,  for  I  am 
sure  that  I  should  find  everything  in  the 
best  order.  But  one  thing  more,  gentlemen ; 
I  cannot  allow  you  to  run  up  your  casino 
bills  as  you  have  done  in  the  past.  The  two 
largest  accounts  were,  to  be  sure,  paid  to-day, 
but  if  the  rest  are  not  paid  by  the  first  of  the 
month,  I  shall  take  drastic  measures  against 
the  oftenders.  Arrange  accordingly.  Thank 
you,  gentlemen  !  " 

Now  then,  you  Lieutenants,  it  is  high 
time  for  you  to  hurry  up  and  run  to  some 
Jew  or  money-lender  and  borrow  money,  for 
40 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

each  one  of  you  owes  at  least  a  couple  of 
hundred  marks  ;  nor  can  you  repay  in  instal- 
ments out  of  your  private  allowance,  or  you 
will  get  such  a  black  mark  in  your  conduct 
report  that  will  stick  till  you  are  old  and 
decrepit.  Nor  can  you  escape  again  out  of 
this  dull  hole  ;  but  don't,  on  that  account,  for 
goodness'  sake,  venture  to  loaf  any  more  of 
your  time  away  at  the  casino,  for  that  means 
bigger  bills,  and  the  end  will  be  arrest ! 

In  the  meantime  the  ladies  of  the  regiment 
and  two  or  three  civilians  had  assembled  in 
the  reading-room  to  discuss  the  principal  event 
of  the  evening — namely,  to  choose  a  director  for 
the  tennis-club  and  to  decide  on  regular  days 
for  playing  in  the  casino  garden. 

Frau  Konig  was  the  only  one  absent,  and 
her  husband  had  made  some  excuse  for  her, 
but  indeed  she  avoided  every  opportunity  of 
meeting  the  ladies  of  the  regiment.  She  was 
never  at  her  ease  with  them  and  loathed  their 
empty,  tiresome  conversations  about  nothing 
at  all.  She  was  indeed  quite  out  of  place 
among  them,  and  it  was  impossible  for  her  to 
enjoy  an  intercourse  based  only  on  super- 
ficialities and  strict  etiquette.  She  particu- 
larly despised  their  way  of  greeting  their 
friends  with  effusive  cordiality,  which  changed 
41 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

to  the  most  spiteful  criticism  as  soon  as  their 
backs  were  turned.  It  she  could  not  be 
honest  and  sincere  in  her  opinions — and  that 
might  have  been  very  dangerous — she  pre- 
ferred to  remain  shut  up  within  her  own 
four  walls. 

The  discussion  in  the  reading-room  took  a 
long  time,  for  each  lady  had  a  cherished  wish, 
and  it  required  a  good  deal  of  eloquent  urging 
on  the  part  of  the  newly-elected  director 
to  induce  the  still  hesitating  gentlemen  to  join. 
It  was  expected  that  most  of  them  would  not 
play,  for  of  course  nobody  had  any  intention 
of  obliging  the  Colonel  now,  but,  on  the 
other  hand,  it  helped  to  increase  the  member- 
ship fees. 

At  last  the  folding  doors  were  opened  into 
the  dining-room,  where  a  simple  supper  had 
been  provided.  The  harsh  voice  of  Frau  von 
Kronau  dominated  the  conversation,  and  groups 
of  old  and  young  men,  gathered  in  corners, 
subjected  the  Colonel's  latest  regulations  to  a 
sharp  criticism. 

The  Captains  Konig  and  Hagemann  were 
joking  rather  boisterously  with  Frau  Stark, 
while  Lieutenant  Pommer  devoted  himself 
entirely  to  Fiau  Kale,  and  did  not  leave  her 
side. 

42 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

After  supper  most  of  the  gentlemen  were 
seized  with  an  enthusiastic  longing  to  escape 
from  this  tiresome  meeting,  to  which  they 
had  been  summoned  on  the  false  pretence 
of  official  business.  Just  then  Frau  Stark 
called  out : 

"  How  would  it  be,  Herr  Oberst,  if  we  had 
a  dance  ?  I'm  sure  no  one  has  anything  else 
to  do.     It  would  be  lovely,  enchanting." 

The  Colonel  debated  a  moment,  then  he 
declared  himself  delighted.  Any  wish  of  Frau 
Stark's  was  a  command  to  him. 

The  gentlemen  were  furious.  To  dance  in 
this  heat — it  was  madness  !  It  would  be  much 
wiser  to  sit  in  the  shade  of  the  verandah 
and  drink  beer.  Lieutenant  Specht  was 
especially  indignant,  as  he  had  promised  to 
meet  his  lady-love  at  the  railway-station  at  ten 
o'clock.  He  gave  expression  to  his  indignation 
when  he  turned  to  Borgert. 

"The  old  screw  is  crazy  with  her  dancing, 
but  we  will  give  her  such  a  turn  to-night 
that  the  perspiration  will  pour  down  her 
back." 

Everybody  went  for  a  stroll  in  the  garden 

while  the  hall  was  being  cleared  and  arranged 

for    dancing.      A    faint    crescent    moon    softly 

illumined  the  horizon,  against  which  the  spires 

43 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

and  houses  of  the  town  stood  out  Uke 
ghostly  silhouettes.  In  the  fresh  green  of 
the  hedge  a  nightingale  trilled  most  divinely 
in  the  soft  evening  air,  and  in  between  could 
be  heard  the  tones  of  the  fiddles  from  the 
casino.  A  few  broken  chords  from  the  organ 
of  a  "  merry-go-round,"  cut  and  drowned 
by  the  wind,  floated  across  the  still  night 
from  the  distant  town.  The  peace  and  the 
quiet  of  the  evening  tempted  to  dreams  and 
sadness.  On  the  tennis-court  Lieutenant 
Borgert  occupied  the  time  by  giving  the 
younger  gentlemen  an  excellent  imitation 
of  the  way  in  which  Frau  Stark  played  tennis, 
how  she  served  and  returned  the  balls,  and 
the  improvised  entertainment  was  so  success- 
ful that  his  audience  held  their  sides  with 
laughter. 

Only  when  he  caught  sight  of  a  white  dress 
through  the  foHage  at  the  foot  of  the  garden 
did  he  end  the  performance. 

Who  was  it  ?  Was  she  alone  ?  He  must 
creep  nearer  and  open  his  ears.  Possibly 
it  might  be  an  interesting  adventure.  Cau- 
tiously and  silently  he  hurried  across  the 
lawn  and  hid  behind  an  elderberry  bush. 
Only  a  few  steps  away  stood  Lieutenant 
Pommer   with    his    arm    about    Frau    Kahle's 

44 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

waist,  whispering  eagerly  to  her.  It  was  a 
pity  that  they  were  whispering ;  still  he  could 
catch  an  occasional  sentence. 

"  What  does  it  matter,  Greta  ?  If  he 
treats  you  so,  then  you  have  a  right  to  do 
as  you  please.  Besides,  he  is  too  stupid  to 
notice  anything  !  If  you  only  knew  how  I  love 
you,  how  I  adore  you  !  " 

"  If  you  really  love  me  so  much,  then  I 
cannot  refuse ;  I  so  long  to  be  happy 
again  !  " 

Thereupon  the  fat  Lieutenant  took  the 
little  woman  in  his  clumsy  arms  and  kissed 
her  passionately.  But  she  freed  herself 
from  his  embrace  and  fled  like  a  deer  across 
the  lawn  towards  the  casino,  through  the 
open  windows  of  which  the  waltz,  "  Over 
the  Silver  Waves,"  fell  across  the  soft  May 
night.  Pommer  crept  under  the  shadow  of 
the  trees  towards  the  entrance  gate,  so  that 
he  should  not  be  noticed.  Thereupon 
Borgert  deserted  his  honourable  post,  greatly 
pleased  and  satisfied. 

The  dance  had  become  very  lively.  Frau 
Stark  was  most  in  request ;  she  fiew  from 
one  arm  to  the  other  and  perspired  Uke  a 
soldier  at  drill.  Lieutenant  von  Meckelburg 
was    especially    offered    up    as     the    favourite 

45 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

victim,  but  he  was  a  shocking  bad  dancer, 
and  he  could  not  keep  in  step.  When  the 
fat  lady  pressed  the  Httle  Baron  to  her 
mighty  bosom  he  quite  disappeared  in  the 
folds  of  her  black  and  yellow  dress. 

Finally  she  had  to  give  up,  and  sank  gasping 
into  the  nearest  chair,  and  wiped  the  big 
drops  from  her  face  with  the  back  of  her 
hand. 

Lieutenant  Specht  was  enjoying  himself 
in  his  own  way,  dancing  with  bent  knees  in 
the  fashion  popular  in  low  dancing-saloons. 
Borgert  stood  in  a  corner,  half  leaning  over 
Frau  Leimann,  who  had  sunk  exhausted  into 
a  chair  and  who  was  fanning  herself  with 
her  handkerchief.  The  Lieutenant's  glances 
rested  on  the  lovely  curves  of  the  white  neck 
as  it  gleamed  through  the  transparent  em- 
broidery, and  he  drank  in  greedily  its  faint 
perfume. 

In  the  reading-room  the  orderHes  filled 
and  refilled  the  glasses  with  "  May "  punch, 
while  at  a  round  table  a  group  of  officers  played 
"  skat  "  for  penny  points. 

Lieutenant  Specht  took  the  first  oppor- 
tunity during  the  next  waltz  of  making  off, 
for  it  was  high  time  for  him  to  go  to  the 
station,  and  as  it  was  too  late  to  change  his 

46 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

clothes  he  went  in  full  uniform  to  meet  his 
"  lady."  She  was  laden  with  small  parcels  of 
provisions,  bought  at  her  own  expense  as  her 
contribution  to  the  housekeeping. 

In  a  corner  of  the  sofa  sat  Lieutenant 
Bleibtreu,  lost  in  thought.  He  smoked  his 
cigar  slowly  and  only  half  heard  the  jokes  of 
the  skat  players.  He  was  rather  vexed,  because 
Frau  Konig,  the  only  lady  with  whom  he 
liked  to  talk,  was  not  there.  Sometimes  his 
thoughts  flew  back  to  his  distant  home,  where 
the  woods  were  now  decked  in  all  the  glory  of 
the  young  summer,  and  where  he  had  spent 
so  many  a  happy  hour  communing  with 
nature  and  in  the  company  of  those  who  loved 
him. 

How  different  it  was  here  !  Here  were  all 
sorts  and  conditions  of  men  with  whom  one 
never  became  intimate,  whose  interests  were  all 
centred  in  superficial  things  or  in  amusements 
of  a  very  questionable  kind.  Of  course  there 
was  his  profession  and  he  was  fond  of  it ;  still 
it  was  not  enough  to  satisfy  a  man  whose 
interests  in  Ufe  were  not  as  narrow  as  those  of 
most  of  his  comrades. 

And  now  he  would  be  expected  to  Uve 
here  for  years  and  years,  away  from  every- 
thing   that     might     bring     variety    into     the 

47 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

routine  of  his  life  ;  among  people,  intercourse 
with  whom  was  strictly  confined  to  the  super- 
ficialities of  "  good  form,"  and  who  were 
always  on  the  watch  for  the  weaknesses  of 
their  neighbours,  which  they  considered  fair 
game. 

And  is  this  the  comradeship,  the  vaunted 
good  fellowship  of  the  German  army  ?  To 
live  under  similar  conditions,  always  forced 
to  be  together  and  if  possible  to  agree, 
required  to  treat  each  other  with  superficial 
courtesy  at  least,  and  always  to  be  seen  together 
on  duty,  at  the  casino  and  innumerable  other 
places — that  is  what  was  understood  by  good 
comradeship. 

But  where  was  the  intimate  friendship,  where 
the  mutual  interest  ?  The  constant  endeavour 
to  be  helpful  to  one  another,  and  never  to  be 
either  malicious  or  envious  ?  Alas,  the  beautiful 
word  "  comradeship  "  has  indeed  sunk  to  an 
empty  phrase  ! 

Of  course  here  and  there  can  be  found  some 
ofiicers  really  united  in  the  closest  bonds  of 
friendship,  a  friendship  loyal  and  self-sacrificing ; 
but  two  such  comrades,  comrades  in  the  noblest 
sense  of  the  word,  are  very  rare  indeed,  are  very 
exceptional. 

Of    course    if    one    is    prosperous    and    all 

48 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON   TOWN 

goes  well  then  there  are  friends  in  plenty, 
and  intercourse  among  comrades  is  delight- 
ful ;  there  is  a  reciprocity  of  kindness,  a 
drinking  and  frolicking  together ;  there  is  a 
willingness  to  be  of  service  to  each  other  if 
it  involves  no  risks,   no  bothers,  no  sacrifices. 

But  true  comradeship  means  more  than 
this! 

Should  a  comrade  fall  into  evil  ways,  or 
betray  a  lack  of  experience  or  good  breeding 
offensive  to  others  ;  or  if,  through  ignorance, 
folly,  or  lack  of  education  he  has  done  some- 
thing wrong  or  blameworthy,  he  is,  if  at  all, 
only  brutally  censured  for  his  faults  instead 
of  a  kind  and  friendly  effort  being  made  to 
point  out  to  him  his  shortcomings,  or  to  help 
his  failings,  or  to  compare  his  faults  with 
one's  own.  Rather  he  is  avoided  as  a  man 
of  no  account  and  as  one  "  who  is  not  in  it." 
Indeed,  he  is  quite  overlooked  unless  some- 
thing can  still  be  got  out  of  the  sinner,  or  if 
some  talent  or  some  other  services  rendered 
have  made  him  popular. 

A  civilian  is  much  better  off.  If  he  has 
found  no  true  and  loyal  friend,  he  can,  at 
least,  Hve  his  own  hfe  without  being  per- 
petually forced  to  meet  men  at  mess  and 
countless  other  occasions  with  whom  he  has 
49  E 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

nothing  in  common.  It  is  different  in  the 
service. 

These  were  the  thoughts  that  occupied 
Bleibtreu,  when  Captain  Konig  came  into 
the  room  and  sat  down  beside  him  on  the 
sofa. 

"  And  that  is  what  people  call  amusement," 
the  Captain  grumbled.  "  I  dare  say  they'll 
bore  us  often  enough  with  such  gaieties  to 
make  up  for  keeping  us  away  from  town. 
My  wife  will  open  her  eyes  when  I  tell 
her." 

*'  I  agree  with  you,  Herr  Rittmeister ; 
to-day's  regulation  is  simply  abominable," 
Bleibtreu  exclaimed.  "  If  the  Colonel  had 
only  forbidden  the  younger  officers  to  go,  that 
would  have  been  hard  enough,  but  to  include 
the  married  officers  in  the  same  category  is 
an  unwarranted  and  outrageous  assumption  of 
authority.  Of  course,  he  himself  will  ride  over 
whenever  he  chooses." 

"  Entertainments  such  as  this  might  pass 
if  they  were  arranged  to  please  everybody 
or  if  agreed  upon  beforehand ;  but  no — 
Madame  Stark  commands  and  we  obey ! 
If  one  of  us  should  plead  a  prior  engage- 
ment, the  Colonel  would  make  it  hot  for 
him  to-morrow !  We  had  a  httle  example  of 
50 


LIFE   IN   A  GARRISON   TOWN 

it  just  now.  One  may  not  even  drink  what 
one  chooses,"  the  Captain  continued.  "  The 
Colonel  simply  brews  a  punch  and  we  have 
to  pay  the  bill.  The  one  to-night  certainly 
cost  six  marks  a  head.  How  can  he  know 
that  I  don't  prefer  to  drink  one  mark's 
worth,  and  that  either  beer  or  seltzer-water  ? 
Then,  to  cap  the  chmax,  he  stands  there  and 
preaches  to  us  about  our  casino  debts." 

"  You  are  right ;  but  all  the  same  it  would 
be  well  if  some  of  us  were  less  extravagant, 
such  as  Borgert  and  several  others.  It  is  a 
pity  that  hardly  a  third  of  these  men  know 
how  to  keep  their  accounts,"  Bleibtreu 
replied. 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  cancer  which  is  eating 
into  our  miUtary  system.  The  number  of 
officers  ruined  by  debt  passes  behef,"  said 
Captain  Konig.  "  And  what  is  the  reason  ? 
Why  can  young  men  in  other  positions  in 
life  live  more  economically  ?  In  the  first 
place,  because  they  are  not  forced  to 
associate  with  people  who  are  better  off 
than  themselves.  If  a  man  has  no  money 
he  stretches  himself  according  to  his  cloth, 
and  makes  himself  quite  comfortable.  But 
in  the  casino  the  millionaire  and  the  pauper 
sit    side    by    side.       It    is    easy    enough    to 

51  E  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

say  that  the  wealthy  officers  should  live 
in  ratio  to  the  means  of  their  poorer 
comrades.  But  it  is  impossible  to  expect 
a  millionaire  to  drink  water  at  dinner, 
and  to  give  up  a  sumptuous  establishment, 
horses  and  carriages  for  the  sake  of  a  com- 
rade with  an  extra  monthly  allowance  of 
only  fifty  marks.  In  the  long  run  the  poor 
man  will  get  dissatisfied  with  his  own 
modest  way  of  hving  when  he  sees  his 
more  fortunate  comrades  rioting  on  the  fat 
of  the  land,  and  the  result  is  that  he  follows 
their  example.  Money  is  not  needed  at 
once ;  his  uniform  helps  him  to  unlimited 
credit.  But  the  misery  begins  when  the 
time  for  repayment  comes.  Unless  a  guard- 
ian angel  in  the  shape  of  a  Jew  or  money- 
lender rescues  him,  he  is  done  for.  In  the 
despairing  effort  to  get  money,  how  many 
a  shady  trick  is  resorted  to !  Possibly 
the  father  scrapes  together  his  last  pennies 
and  sacrifices  his  evening  smoke  to  keep  his 
lad  above  water.  Should  the  youngster  be 
so  lucky  as  to  emerge  safely  from  his  first 
scrape,  he  soon  begins  again,  in  the  fond 
belief  that  he  will  be  equally  lucky  the  next 
time." 

"  But    that    cannot    be    helped,"    Bleibtreu 
52 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

interposed  ;  "  each  is,  after  all,  responsible  for 
himself." 

"  Not  helped  !  "  Captain  Konig  exclaimed. 
"  Of  course  it  can  be  helped !  It  would  be 
quite  sufficient  to  make  a  law  that  no  officer 
under  the  rank  of  Captain  can  be  sued  for 
debt.  I  rather  think  the  tradespeople  would 
be  mighty  careful  not  to  risk  giving  credit 
at  a  venture  to  a  Lieutenant  of  twenty-three 
with  whose  means  they  are  totally  unacquainted. 
They  would  not  lend  a  hundred  marks  to 
a  civilian  three  times  as  well  off,  without 
careful  inquiries  as  to  who  and  what  he  is 
and  his  standing.  The  result  of  the  present 
system  is  that  the  officers  are  the  prey  of 
the  tradespeople,  who  know  that  they  are 
sure  to  get  their  money  in  most  cases,  or 
they  can  ruin  their  debtor." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  an  officer's  excep- 
tional social  position  obliges  him  to  live  so 
extravagantly,  and  for  that  reason,  I  think,  all 
men  of  moderate  means  should  be  excluded," 
said  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu. 

*'  That  is  exaggerating,"  said  Captain  Konig  ; 
"  and  yet  energetic  measures  are  required 
to  put  a  stop  to  this  ruinous  extravagance. 
Of  course  it  is  well  and  kindly  meant  when 
the    order    reads :      *  The    more    extravagance 

53 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

and  luxury  an  officer  sees  about  him,  the 
more  simply  he  should  wish  to  live.'  A 
pious  motto  never  to  be  fulfilled,  for  it  is 
evident  if  the  officer  sees  the  increasing  ex- 
travagance of  other  classes  he  thinks  it 
due  to  his  prominent  social  position  to  equal, 
if  not  to  exceed,  it.  He  believes  himself 
vastly  superior  to  anyone  else,  and  even  a 
Lieutenant  will  look  with  the  greatest  con- 
tempt, or  at  least  with  a  compassionate 
smile,  at  the  man  who  by  the  labour  of  his 
hands  or  his  intellectual  achievements  has 
been   of   use  to  the  world. 

"  This  self-conceit  is  the  curse  of  our  pro- 
fession and  likely  to  alienate  from  each  other, 
more  and  more,  the  people  and  the  officers 
of  the  army,  while  the  contrary  is  earnestly 
to  be  desired.  And  it  is  to  officers  such  as 
these  that  the  people  are  compelled  to  con- 
fide their  sons  to  be  trained.  But  if  their 
trust  in  them  is  shaken  more  and  more,  then 
will  the  people's  love  for  a  soldier's  Ufe  and 
the  patriotism  which  go  hand  in  hand  gradually 
die. 

"  The  officer  should  be  given  more  in- 
tellectual employment,  so  that  it  may  be 
apparent  to  him  in  what  he  is  deficient  com- 
pared   to    men    in    other    professions — so    that 

54 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

he  may  learn  the  value  of  their  services 
to  the  State ;  then,  perhaps,  he  will  begin 
to  appreciate  his  privileges  and  prerogatives, 
which  no  one  grudges  him,  instead  of  finding 
in  these  a  reason  for  intolerable  arrogance. 
This  leads  to  other  troubles,  and  is  the  reason 
why  so  many  officers  see  in  their  soldiers, 
not  their  comrades  nor  the  future  defenders 
of  their  country,  whom  they  should  help, 
but  rather  the  objects  of  never-ending  trouble 
and  ceaseless  irritation.  This  results  in  yet 
another  evil. 

"  The  young  man  of  twenty  feels  his 
superior's  hostility  with  silent  resentment. 
Gradually  he  loses  his  pride  in  his  gay  uni- 
form, especially  if  his  superiors  make 
unreasonable  demands  on  him,  or  if  they 
treat  him  unjustly.  Of  course  while  he  is  in 
power  of  the  military  authorities  he  will  be 
exceedingly  careful  how  he  expresses  his 
opinions,  but  no  sooner  has  he  freed  himself 
from  the  military  yoke  than  a  leaning  towards 
socialism,  possibly  inborn,  will  undoubtedly 
grow  with  redoubled  strength,  especially 
after  the  experiences  he  has  been  through 
while  in  the  army.  And  it  is  indeed  very 
grave  if  what  should  be  the  most  important 
factor    with    which    to    combat    the    gigantic 

55 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

growth  of  socialism,  namely,  the  military 
training-time  of  young  and  impressionable 
men,  easily  taught  and  influenced,  should  be 
made  the  means  to  recruit  the  ranks  of  the 
enemy ;  and  this  will  happen  inevitably  if  such 
officers  are  permitted  to  be  military  trainers." 

"  May  this  not  be  only  a  passing  phase 
from  which  our  superior  military  class  is 
suffering  ?  " 

"  No,  that  is  the  tragedy  of  it — ^it  is  a 
deep-rooted  cancer.  But  even  this  might  be 
controlled  and  possibly  destroyed  if  one 
could  go  seriously  to  work,  instead  of  arro- 
gantly believing  that  German  officers  stand 
at  the  head  of  all  and  need  no  reform.  There 
is  still  time  to  help,  for  these  critical  con- 
ditions have  not  yet  taken  a  form  impos- 
sible to  overcome  ;  in  spite  of  everything,  we 
still  have  a  record  of  a  glorious  past,  and  the 
fame  of  our  army  is  great  in  foreign  countries. 
But  we  must  strike  while  the  iron  is  hot.  An 
army  is  created  for  war  and  it  is  inevitable 
that  it  must  suffer  under  thirty  years  of 
peace.  But  we  need  no  war  to  eradicate 
this  evil,  but  we  do  need  prudent,  level- 
headed men,  who  will  frankly  confess  that 
'  there  is  something  rotten  in  the  state  of 
Denmark.'  " 

56 


LIFE   IN   A  GARRISON   TOWN 

Konig  had  talked  himself  into  a  great  heat. 
He  took  a  long  pull  at  the  beer-glass  which 
the  orderly  had  just  brought  him,  for  he 
refused  to  drink  punch,  thus  defying  the 
Colonel.  Occasionally  he  needed  to  let  him- 
self go,  just  to  shake  off  his  worries ;  that 
done  he  felt  relieved. 

Borgert  had  been  standing  within  earshot, 
paying  close  attention  to  what  the  Captain 
said ;  whenever  two  people  chatted  together 
he  was  sure  to  be  in  the  background. 
Secretly  he  was  much  amused  at  these  two 
croakers,  who  did  not  appreciate  the  advan- 
tages offered.  Why  did  they  not  think  as  he 
did  ?  Enjoy  life  as  it  came  and  good  times 
as  they  turned  up.  That  was  his  motto  in 
life,  and  for  that  reason  the  champagne  for 
which  he  never  paid  tasted  so  good.  He 
liked  li\dng  in  this  dull  hole,  where  there  was 
always  a  little  scandal  brewing,  an  attraction 
sadly  lacking  in  his  last  gairison  town. 
When  his  taste  for  that  kind  of  amusement 
was  discovered  there  he  was  hastily  ordered 
to  the  frontier  for  the  good  and  welfare  of 
his  comrades.  With  half -closed  eyes  and  a 
thoughtful  face  he  stood  leaning  against  the 
doorpost.  All  at  once  he  looked  attentively 
about    him.      Where    was    that    fat    Pommer  ? 

57 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

He  had  only  just  seen  him  stumbUng  about 
half -tipsy  among  the  ladies,  and  now  he  was 
gone.  And  Frau  Kahle  ?  Sure  enough ! 
Also  gone.  Now  for  a  game  of  hide-and- 
seek  ;  possibly  it  might  lead  to  something 
enormously  funny.  So  he  crept  cautiously 
into  the  gaiden,  laying  aside  his  cigar  for 
fear  it  might  betray  him.  The  moon  had 
discreetly  sunk  towards  the  horizon  so  as  not 
to  be  an  unwilling  witness  of  what  was  taking 
place  among  the  beeches  at  the  foot  of  the 
garden.  Her  faint  rays  barely  touched  the 
masses  of  clouds  that  floated  across  her 
hiding-place. 

And  so  it  was  I  There  they  were,  on  the 
wooden  seat  under  the  garden  wall,  clasped 
in  a  passionate  embrace.  The  nightingale 
still  sang,  but  farther  away.  Pommer  was 
uttering  confused  phrases  without  troubling 
himself  as  to  whether  he  was  overheard. 
Frau  Kahle  with  her  head  on  his  shoulder 
drank  in  the  words  of  love  which  she  had 
not  heard  since  the  first  year  of  her  married 
Hfe,  while  Lieutenant  Pommer  occasionally 
pressed  a  kiss  on  her  mouth  and  hands.  His 
right  arm  clasped  her  slender  waist  and  one 
big  hand  rested  on  her  throbbing  breast. 

"  Dear,  darhng  Grete,  you  really  must  get 
58 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

rid  of  this  man.  He  is  a  tyrant,  and  he 
has  no  feeling  whatever.  Besides,  he  is 
altogether  too  big  for  you  !  " 

"He  is  a  good  fellow,  but  he  doesn't 
understand  me.  I  must  have  someone  who 
understands  me  and  who  really  loves  me. 
It  will  be  so  sweet  to  pet  you  when  you 
come  home  tired  out  from  duty.  I  will  be 
so  good  to  you  !  " 

"  How  I  love  you,  you  dear  little  rogue  !  " 

"  And  how  I  love  you,  dear  Hans !  You 
cannot  imagine  how  hurt  I  was  last  year 
when  my  husband  flirted  with  the  magistrate's 
wife,  a  woman  who  was  neither  young  nor 
pretty.  He  even  ran  after  the  old  midwife, 
whom  he  did  not  recognise  because  she  had 
a  shawl  over  her  head.  She  let  him  follow 
her  into  the  house,  and  then  she  quietly  took 
off  her  shawl  and  said,  '  So,  sir,  now  I  shall 
tell  your  wife  what  kind  of  a.  fellow  you  are.' 
And  so  she  did." 

"It  is  too  much  for  you  to  bear,  Crete, 
really  it  is."  And  as  he  spoke  he  embraced 
her  with  such  passion  that  she  gave  a  little 
cry  of  pain. 

Just  then  someone  shouted  his  name  from 
the  casino  ;  he  was  wanted. 

Fearing  to  be  discovered  in  his  honourable 
59 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

position  as  spy,  should  they  rise,  Borgert 
walked  straight  up  to  the  disconcerted  pair. 

"  Good  heavens,  how  you  frightened  me  • 
But,  pardon,  I  don't  wish  to  intrude."  And 
he  walked  hurriedly  away  towards  the 
casino. 

Of  course  no  one  suspected  the  reason  for 
the  change  in  Borgert  s  face.  His  bored 
expression  had  given  way  to  one  of  sly  and 
cynical  amusement. 

Now  he  knew  enough,  and  so  he  could 
devote  a  little  time  to  dancing.  After  all  it 
was  a  dehght  to  hold  in  his  arms  so  beautiful 
a  creature  as  Frau  Leimann.  She  was 
worth  committing  a  sin  for. 

The  gaieties  were  nearing  their  end ;  the 
ladies  were  tired,  and  Frau  Stark  especially 
had  been  danced  nearly  to  death.  Even  the 
Colonel's  wife  had  had  quite  enough,  and 
was  silent — an  unusual  state  for  her. 

Suddenly  Frau  Leimann  complained  of 
headache  and  asked  Borgert  to  take  her 
home,  for  her  husband  had  reached  the 
maudlin  stage — his  usual  condition  after  too 
much  punch — and  was  reehng  about  the 
garden,    sobbing   and   weeping    most    dolefully. 

The  gentlemen  had  nearly  all  succumbed 
to   the   influence   of   the   "  May "    punch,   and 

60 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON   TOWN 

they  had  become  very  noisy  and  coarse  in 
their  jokes.  It  was  high  time  to  separate, 
so  they  climbed  into  the  carriages  that  had 
been  waiting  at  the  casino  gate  for  a  couple  of 
hours. 

A  few  pet  names  and  thumps  were  re- 
quired to  rouse  the  sleeping  coachmen,  who 
were   tired    out    from   the    exhaustion    of    the 

morning's  drill. 

*  *  ♦ 

About  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning  the 
fat  Pommer  was  still  in  bed.  He  should  have 
been  on  duty,  but  he  had  overslept  himself ; 
and,  seeing  that  it  was  now  too  late,  he  turned 
over  and  again  began  to  snore. 

When  he  at  last  woke  at  eleven  o'clock 
he  stared  stupidly  before  him,  then  his  hand, 
which  a  few  hours  ago  had  so  tenderly 
clasped  Frau  Crete's,  clutched  his  tangled 
hair. 

Thunder,  how  his  head  ached  !  What  had 
happened  ?  Yes,  now  he  remembered, — that 
confounded  punch  of  last  night ! 

But  there  was  something  more  !  A  white 
dress  was  interwoven  in  his  recollections,  and 
very  vaguely  and  slowly  he  began  to  remember 
what  had  happened.  He  looked  at  the  clock. 
What,  past  eleven  already  ? 

6i 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

With  trouble  and  groans  he  crept  out  of 
bed  and  shpped  on  his  trousers  and  made 
some  kind  of  a  toilet.  It  was  all  one  to  him, 
for  his  head  ached  fit  to  split,  and  then  there 
was  always  the  thought  of  what  had  hap- 
pened yesterday.  It  was  unbearable !  In  a 
very  bad  temper  he  flung  himself  into  a 
chair,  and  when  his  servant  brought  in  his 
coffee  and  let  a  spoon  fall,  he  turned  on  him 
in  a  fury. 

"  You  infernal  ass,  don't  make  such  a  clatter 
or  I'll  kick  you  out  of  the  room  !  " 

With  a  great  effort  Pommer  tried  to  recall 
the  events  of  yesterday,  and  the  more  vivid 
they  became  the  more  he  was  horrified  at  his 
own  conduct. 

What  had  he  done  ?  He  had  made  love 
to  the  wife  of  a  comrade — he  whose  views 
and  principles  had  always  been  so  rigid  that 
he  was,  perhaps,  the  one  among  his  comrades 
whose  most  cutting  reproofs  were  endured, 
for  they  all  knew  that  he  not  only 
preached,  but  practised  what  he  preached. 
He  recalled  his  past.  Was  there  in  it 
either  spot  or  stain  ?  No,  no  ;  the  years  that 
were  gone  lay  pure  and  unblemished  before 
him,  and  now  that  he  had  passed  the  dangers 
and  follies  of  youth  he  was  burdened  with   a 

62 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

heavy  sin — ^he  had  wronged  his  comrade's  wife. 
Shame  ! 

But  had  she  not  told  him  herself  that  she 
was  unhappy,  that  her  husband  ill-treated 
her  ?  Was  that  not  an  excuse,  possibly  even 
a  justification  ? 

No — and  again,  no !  He  had  grievously 
sinned  against  a  man's  most  sacred  rights. 
The  blood  rushed  to  his  head,  and  the  room 
seemed  whirling  round.  If  he  could  die,  only 
die,  now  that  he  had  proved  himself  false 
to  all  that  was  best  within  him,  and  burdened 
his  conscience  with  a  crime  from  which  he 
could  never  escape  ! 

What  had  happened  that  he  could  so  far 
have  forgotten  himself  ?  It  was  all  owing  to 
the  champagne  he  had  drunk  in  the  morning 
with  Borgert,  empty-headed  tippler  that  he 
was.  Then  there  was  the  *'  Tiirkenblut," 
that  horrible  mixture  which  Miiller  had 
stood  at  mess  because  he  had  lost  a  bet, 
followed  at  night  by  that  cursed  punch  ;  and 
altogether  it  made  him,  who  rarely  drank 
a  glass  of  wine,  lose  his  head.  The  others, 
the  contemptible  scoundrels,  when  they  noticed 
this,  had  given  him  more  and  more  to 
drink,  probably  because  his  drunkenness  amused 
them. 

63 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Of  course  he  liked  the  pretty  little  woman. 
She  was  just  to  his  taste,  so  soft,  so  charm- 
ing, so  yielding.  Big,  strong  men  often  fall 
in  love  with  little  women,  but  to  do  what  he 
had  done  last  night  had  never  entered  his 
head  before ;  he  must  have  been  mad.  He 
would  go  to  her  and  implore  her  to  forgive 
him  ;  he  would  honestly  and  frankly  confess 
his  sin — it  might  lessen  his  guilt,  if  it  could 
not  efface  it. 

Just  then  someone  knocked  at  the  door. 
As  if  he  expected  Nemesis  herself  to  enter, 
he  shrunk  back  in  his  chair,  and  muttered 
faintly,  "  Come  in." 

Lieutenant  Borgert  crossed  the  threshold, 
helmet  in  hand.  He  seemed  surprised  to  find 
his  comrade  in  such  a  condition,  and  he  took 
his  measure  with  a  sharp  glance. 

"  Excuse  me  if  I  disturb  you  ;  but  I  have 
come  to  speak  to  you  about  a  rather  painful 
matter." 

"  Official  or  private  ?  "  Pommer  growled. 

"  Both  ;  just  as  you  take  it,"  Borgert  replied 
insolently. 

"  I  am  not  in  a  mood  just  now  for  private 
matters.  Kindly  put  it  off  till  some  other 
time." 

"  Sorry,   but   I   want   it   settled  now.     You 

64 


LIFE   IN   A   GARRISON  TOWN 

know  very  well  that  as  your  senior  in  length 
of  service  I  have  the  right  to  demand  an 
explanation   from  you   of  anything   I   see   fit." 

Pommer  sat  lost  in  thought  for  a  moment. 
Before  he  entered  the  army  he  had  spent 
three  years  at  the  University,  and  after  that 
he  had  been  employed  in  several  great 
banking  houses,  and  now  he  who  had  seen 
life  from  its  most  serious  aspects,  whose 
experience  was  double  that  of  other  men  of 
his  age,  was  obHged  to  justify  his  conduct  to 
a  man  who  did  nothing  but  drink,  carouse, 
and  squander  money,  and  who  in  the  service 
was  beneath  contempt.  Yet  the  man  had 
the  power  to  make  him ;  a  military  regulation 
gave  him  the  right. 

Yes,  so  it  was,  and  now  he  remembered 
how  the  question  of  this  same  foolish 
privilege  had  been  the  subject  of  serious 
thought,  how  he  had  recognised  the  possi- 
bilities of  its  abuse  by  anyone  who  might 
wish  to  injure  a  junior  comrade  powerless 
to  defend  himself.  Anyone  could  play  the 
part  of  superior  officer  if  he  chose  to.  It 
was  magnificent,  truly  ! 

A  grim  and  cynical  smile  crossed  Pommer's 
pale  face ;  but  he  spoke  with  a  steady 
voice : 

65  F 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Very  well,  then — what  do  you  wish  ?  " 
"  I     was    in    the     garden     last     night     by 
accident,    and    there    I    saw   something   which 
I    do    not    understand    even    now.       I    saw 


you 

"  Yes,  I  kissed  a  lady,  the  wife  of  Captain 
Kahle,  and  made  love  to  her — I  know  that.'* 

"  Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  explain  to  me 
how  that  happened  ?  " 

"  I  was  drunk,  or  it  certainly  would  not 
have  happened." 

"  Well,  your  explanation  is  short  and 
simple  enough.'  But  why  do  you  drink  too 
much  if  you  can  stand  so  little  and  lose  your 
self-control  ?  " 

"  If  I  was  drunk  I  was  not  alone  to  blame ; 
there  were  others " 

Borgert  interrupted  for  fear  of  hearing 
something   that   might   sound   like   a   reproach. 

"  You  do  not  seem  to  realise  the  gravity 
of  the  situation,"  he  said  ironically.  "  There- 
fore I  should  like  to  point  it  out  to  you." 

"  I  don't  require  your  explanation.  I  myself 
know  what  I " 

"  Pardon  me,  but  I  insist  on  speaking,  my 
dear  sir.  I  cannot  allow  you  to  correct  me, 
for  I  have  come  here  to  set  you  right." 

Pommer  was  about  to  retort  in  a  passion, 
66 


LIFE   IN   A  GARRISON   TOWN 

but   the   other's   icy   glance   and   cutting   tones 
silenced  him. 

"  Wliat  you  have  done  is  the  gravest  crime 
against  a  friend  that  I  know.  To  make  love 
to  the  wife  of  a  comrade  is  to  commit  an 
act  of  disloyalty,  is  indeed  a  crime  which 
deserves  the  most  condign  punishment.  How 
would  you  act  should  you  find  your  wife  in 
the  arms  of  another  man  ?  Kill  him  at  once, 
of  course,  or  you  would  challenge  him  to 
fight  to  the  death.  But  you — you  have  dared 
to  make  love  to  a  married  woman.  You 
have  violated  the  holy  of  hohes,  which 
should  be  to  us  a  noli  me  tangere.  A  mere 
clasp  of  the  hand,  a  glance  in  such  a  case 
means  dishonour  ;  yes,  even  the  secret 
longing  to  kiss  and  possess  the  wife  of 
another.  Do  you  still  dare  to  look  in  the 
face  of  the  man  you  have  so  shamefully 
wronged  and  deceived  ?  I  could  not.  I  would 
go  to  him  at  once,  confess  my  guilt,  and  offer 
him  satisfaction.  I  never  would  have  beheved 
you  capable  of  so  dastardly  an  act.  Are  you 
not  ashamed  of  yourself  to  the  very  depths 
of  your  soul  ?  I  have  no  wish  to  plunge  you 
into  misery,  and  this  shall  go  no  farther,  or 
you  would  be  ruined.  Not  only  would  it  be 
a   question   of   your   career,    but   of   your   life. 

67  F  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

But  I  shall  expect  you  to  go  to  the  lady  this 
very  day  and  beg  her  pardon,  and  you  must 
also  tell  her  what  I  have  done  for  you." 

Borgert  drew  himself  triumphantly  up  to 
his  full  height  and  looked  down  at  the 
miserable  Pommer,  on  whose  face  the  first 
expression  of  rebeUion  had  gradually  given 
way  to  one  of  silent  submission  and  conscious 
guilt. 

The  big,  stout  man  had  shrunk  together 
more  and  more  in  his  chair,  and  his  eyes 
stared  lifelessly  before  him  on  the  floor. 

Two  great  tears  stood  in  his  eyes.  The 
man  was  weeping.  Was  it  because  his  guilt 
lay  heavy  on  his  conscience,  or  because  he 
might  possibly  still  have  to  face  the  pistol 
of  the  injured  husband  ?  No  ;  he  had  sinned, 
but  he  was  manly  enough  not  to  fear  the 
consequences.    He  was  no  coward. 

But  he  was  ashamed,  and  it  is  this  feeling 
of  shame  which  lowers  a  man  most  irre- 
trievably in  his  own  estimation. 

At  the  same  time  he  was  conscious  of  a 
warm  feeling  of  gratitude  towards  the  man 
who,  though  he  had  been  a  witness  of  his 
guilt,  was  now  magnanimous  enough  only 
to  point  out  to  him  the  wrong  he  had  done, 
instead   of   surrendering   him   to   the   bullet   of 

68 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

an  injured  husband.  And  all  that  he  had  said, 
was  it  not  just  ? 

Borgert  now  rose  and  silently  held  out  his 
hand  to  Pommer  and  looked  him  steadily  in 
the  face,  but  Pommer's  eyes  avoided  his,  as 
Borgert  said  very  kindly  : 

"  There,  now,  take  comfort !  Make  amends 
for  what  you  have  done,  and  be  careful  in 
future." 

*'  Thank  you,"  Pommer  murmured  brokenly, 
his  voice  choked  by  tears.  "  You  have  given 
me  your  word  of  honour  that  this  shall  go  no 
farther — not  for  my  own  sake,  but  for  the  lady's, 
who  must  not  be  talked  about  ?  " 

"  I  have  given  you  my  word — I  shall  be 
silent." 

As  the  Lieutenant  crossed  the  threshold 
Pommer  followed  him  with  grateful  eyes,  and 
thought  that  this  was  indeed  a  friend  to  whom 
he  owed  his  life. 

That  magnanimous  hero  was  well  satisfied 
with  his  mission.  It  was  an  affair  that  just 
suited  him.  There  was  no  risk ;  on  the 
contrary,  he  played  the  part  of  a  guardian 
angel  bringing  forgiveness  to  the  sinner,  and 
leading  him  back  to  the  paths  of  virtue.  It 
was,  besides,  a  most  entertaining  comedy  to 
see    a    comrade    at   his   feet   who   had   always 

69 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON   TOWN 

been  every  inch  a  man,  and  whom  scandal 
had  never  touched.  It  was  a  lucky  chance, 
too,  that  he  could  now  make  use  of  Pommer's 
undoubted  influence  over  the  younger  officers. 
Finally,  there  was  the  further  piquancy  of 
humihating  Frau  Kahle,  and  of  asking  her 
how  the  affair  had  ended.  He  had  no 
intention  of  sparing  her,  and  he  looked 
forward  with  delight  to  seeing  the  little 
woman  on  her  knees  before  him,  imploring 
him  not  to  betray  her. 

As  Borgert  entered  his  house  he  hummed 
a  lively  song.  Giving  his  man  his  sword, 
cloak  and  helmet,  he  went  upstairs  to  the 
Leimanns. 

He  did  not  find  them  alone.  The  Adju- 
tant was  there ;  he  had  left  the  office  at 
11.30,  as  the  Colonel  had  gone  hunting. 
Frau  Leimann  also  came  in  just  then,  and, 
as  the  two  gentlemen  were  busy  looking  out 
of  the  window  watching  Frau  Konig  ride  past 
with  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu,  Borgert  seized 
both  her  hands  and  covered  them  with 
passionate  kisses. 

Then  in  his  own  witty  way  he  described 
and  acted  for  them,  with  wonderfully  comic 
gestures,  his  adventure  of  the  morning,  until 
they  were  convulsed  with  laughter. 

70 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

In  the  meantime,  Pommer  sat  at  his 
writing-table  and  tried  to  relieve  his  heavy 
heart  in  a  long  letter  to  his  mother.  He 
sang  the  praises  of  his  new  friend,  and  he 
extolled  rather  extravagantly  the  nobility  of 
his  thoughts  and  conduct. 

He  had  grown  calmer.  He  still  viewed 
the  events  of  the  preceding  evening  in  the 
same  light,  but  he  judged  them  from  the 
point  of  view  of  a  man  who  knows  that, 
though  he  has  been  guilty  of  a  bad  action, 
it  was  rather  the  result  of  an  unlucky  chance 
than  of  innate  vice. 

About  noon  he  finished  dressing  himself 
so  as  to  call  on  Frau  Kahle,  as  at  this  time 
her  husband  was  usually  away  from  home. 
The  latter  might  possibly  be  indifferent  as  to 
what  a  stranger  had  to  do  with  his  wife ;  still 
there  was  no  knowing,  and  it  would  be  better 
so. 

With  a  sense  of  unspeakable  remorse  and 
shame,  he  mounted  the  carpeted  stairs  that 
led  to  Frau  Kahle's  apartments,  and  he  had 
not  long  to  wait  before  he  was  admitted. 

With  a  faint  cry  she  hurried  towards  him, 
flung  her  arms  about  his  neck,  and  in  spite 
of  his  struggles  kissed  him  passionately  on  the 
mouth. 

71 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  How  I  thank  you  for  coming  !  The  time 
seemed  so  long  without  you.  Now  that  I  have 
you  I  am  happy  again  !  My  husband  will  be 
away  till  evening.  Stay  with  me,  Hans  ;  I 
cannot  live  without  you." 

As  she  spoke  she  drew  him  down  beside 
her  on  the  sofa  and  silenced  him  with  burning 
kisses. 

"  I  did  not  sleep  all  night  long,"  she 
whispered ;  "I  could  not  realise  my  own 
happiness ;  I  thought  it  must  be  a  dream 
that  I  had  found  in  you  one  I  have  a  right 
to  love  and  who  loves  me.  I  am  so  grateful 
to  you,  my  only  love." 

Lieutenant  Pommer  sat  as  if  turned  to  stone. 
He  did  not  utter  a  word,  and  silently  endured 
her  caresses. 

Why  had  he  come  ?  Where  were  his 
good  resolutions  ?  To  make  amends  for  the 
wrong  he  had  done,  to  express  his  remorse, 
to  confess  that  all  was  but  the  result  of  a 
moment  of  drunken  passion  ! 

But  now  it  was  impossible.  How  could 
he  brutally  waken  this  loving  woman  out 
of  her  dream  ?  That  which  honour  had 
demanded  was  now  impossible  in  the  face 
of  a  passion  he  had  himself  kindled  in  her 
heart.     No  ;    rather  die   than   confess   that   it 

72 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

had  all  been  a  lie,  deception,  and  the  caprice  of 
a  moment.  It  was  not  in  him  to  return  this 
ardent  love  with  such  a  blow. 

And  as  in  an  abandonment  of  love  she 
leaned  her  head  on  his  breast,  his  heart 
throbbed  as  if  it  would  burst,  and  a  sudden 
change  came  over  him.  The  strong,  resolute 
man  had  become  the  victim  of  a  mighty  power 
— love. 

His  glances  rested  on  the  woman  he  held 
in  his  arms.  The  soft  folds  of  the  trans- 
parent house-dress  she  wore  revealed  the 
curves  of  her  round  figure ;  the  perfume  of  her 
bare  white  arms,  from  which  the  lace  sleeves 
had  fallen,  bewildered  and  stunned  him  and 
robbed  him  of  the  last  vestige  of  resolution 
and  self-control.  With  a  gesture  of  savage 
passion  he  flung  his  aims  about  her  trembling 
form. 

«  «  9): 

It  was  already  evening  when  Pommer  closed 
behind  him  the  door  of  the  house  in  which 
Frau  Kahle  lived. 

With  a  haggard  face  and  uncertain  glance  he 
went  along  the  street,  overlooking  even  the 
soldiers  who  passed  and  saluted  him  accord- 
ing to  custom.  He  would  have  passed  by 
Lieutenant  Borgert  had  the  latter  not  shouted 

n 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

a  greeting  to  him  across  the  street  and  startled 
him  out  of  his  thoughts. 

He  hesitated,  stood  still,  then  looked 
absently  at  his  comrade,  who  crossed  the  road 
towards  him. 

"  And  how  are  you  now,  my  dear  Pommer  ? 
Quite  recovered  from  your  spree  ?  " 

"  Thanks,  thanks,  I  am  all  right,  quite  well. 
And — yes — I  want  to  tell  you — I  have  been 
there." 

''Been  to  see  her?  That  is  right.  Every- 
thing settled  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  naturally.  Quite  smooth. 
Everything  in  the  best  order." 

"  Well,  then,  good-bye  !    I  must  be  off." 

"  Good-bye.     Again  my  best  thanks." 

"  But,  my  dear  fellow,  it  was  gladly  done. 
You  saw  I  meant  well  by  you." 

"  Yes  ;   let  us  be  good  friends." 

When  Pommer  reached  home  he  was  in 
despair.    What  had  he  done  ? 

Instead  of  atoning  for  his  guilt  of  yesterday 
by  a  full  confession,  he  had  sunk  still  deeper 
in  the  mire.  He  had  followed  his  first  trans- 
gression by  a  terrible  crime,  instead  of  strug- 
gling with  all  his  might  against  his  own 
weakness.  More  than  that,  he  had  deceived 
his  friend  and  betrayed  his  trust.     Thus  had 

74 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON   TOWN 

he      repaid     him      for      his      goodness      and 

generosity. 

Now  it  was  too  late.     There  was  no  escape 

for  him  from  the  bonds  of  falsehood  and  sin. 

Whatever  the  end,  he  must  follow  the  path  he 

had  chosen.     He  tried  to  excuse  himself  to  his 

own  conscience  ;    chance  had  broken  his  will, 

and  so  he  had  fallen. 

*  *  * 

Weeks  and  months  had  passed.  The  lovers 
met  often,  and  took  long  walks  in  the  country 
together  or  met  "  accidentally  "  in  the  street, 
or  wiled  away,  when  the  husband  was  absent 
from  home,  many  a  sweet  and  stolen  hour  in 
Frau  Crete's  boudoir. 

Pommer's  attachment  to  the  unprincipled 
woman  had  at  first  completely  placed  him  at 
her  mercy.  But  the  attraction  had  been 
merely  sensual,  and  he  found  it  impossible  to 
feel  a  deep  and  lasting  affection  for  one  whose 
easy  morals  and  perfect  indifference  to  her 
duties  as  a  wife  and  a  mother,  and  whose 
abandonment  of  herself  to  the  first -comer  who 
told  her  that  he  loved  her,  had  taught 
him  her  worthlessness  ;  and  so  the  time  came 
when  he  began  to  tire  of  the  passionate, 
hysterical  woman.  The  true  feeling  that 
might  have  given   their  intimacy  some   moral 

75 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

support  was  lacking.  Men  are  easily  satiated 
by  pleasures  that  become  monotonous  ;  only 
the  happiness  that  is  deep-rooted  in  the  heart 
is  lasting.  So  the  first  liking  was  followed 
in  time  by  active  aversion  ;  he  felt  an  increas- 
ing disgust  and  dislike  towards  the  woman 
who,  day  by  day,  lost  more  and  more  of  her 
value  and  betrayed  more  and  more  her  lack 
of  all  true  womanly  feeling,  until  at  last 
she  ceased  to  be  for  him  anything  more 
than  the  female  offered  by  Nature  to  the 
male. 

The  more  this  feeling  increased,  the  more 
trifling  seemed  the  fault  which  he  had  once 
considered  his  dishonour,  and  the  sin  which 
had  formerly  burdened  his  conscience. 

But  he  had  not  the  heart  to  confess  that  he 
was  tired  of  her,  and  that  her  charms  had 
ceased  to  attract  him ;  to  do  so  seemed  to  him 
unmanly  and  ungrateful,  for,  after  all,  she  had 
given  him  many  happy  hours. 

He  would  not  write,  considering  it  too 
dangerous,  for  should  his  letter  fall  by  accident 
into  the  hands  of  the  unsuspecting  husband, 
there  might  be  a  tragic  ending  to  the  story 
even  now.     She  was  not  worth  it. 

Could  Pommer  have  read  Frau  Crete's 
secret     thoughts,     had     he     known     more     of 

76 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

women,  he  would  have  recognised  at  once 
that  only  a  word  was  needed  to  put  an  end 
to  it  all,  for  she  also  had  long  ceased  to  find 
any  pleasure  in  the  love  of  a  man  who 
seemed  to  her  too  pedantic,  too  awkward 
and  too  ungainly,  to  whom  compliments 
were  an  effort,  and  who  would  not  make 
love  without  incitement. 

She  demanded  a  stormy,  passionate,  self- 
abandonment  without  perpetual  scruples  about 
right  and  wrong !  The  man  to  whom  she 
gave  her  love  must  drink  the  overflowing 
cup  to  the  dregs  and  then  demand  it  again 
and  again  ! 

When  the  news  was  brought  to  Pommer 
one  day  that  he  had  been  transferred  to 
another  garrison  with  the  advancement  to 
the  rank  of  First  Lieutenant,  it  cost  him  no 
pang  to  take  leave  of  Frau  Kahle. 

"  I  am  going  away,"  he  said  coldly,  "  and 
we  shaU  probably  never  see  each  other 
again." 

With  a  cry  she  fell  on  the  couch  and  lay 
as  if  crushed. 

Whereupon  Pommer  opened  the  door  noise- 
lessly and  disappeared.  As  foi  Frau  Kahle, 
she  watched  him  from  the  window,  and  when 
he  had  turned  the  comer  she  flung  open  the 
77 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

piano  and  played  a  rattling,  joyous  waltz  of 
Strauss.  As,  however,  it  occurred  to  her  that 
she  might  be  considered  unfeeling  if  she 
took  the  separation  so  lightly,  she  wrote  a 
long  letter  of  eight  pages  to  Lieutenant 
Borgert,  in  which  she  gave  passionate  ex- 
pression to  the  grief  and  wrongs  of  a  forsaken 
woman. 

So  full  were  her  words  of  a  deep,  un- 
utterable grief,  so  touching  was  her  despair 
at  the  loss  of  her  lover,  that  no  one  could 
dream  she  was  only  playing  a  part,  like 
Ophelia  or  Desdemona,  with  consummate 
skill. 

When  Borgert  read  the  letter  that  night 
to  the  assembled  officers  in  the  casino,  there 
was  a  silent  expression  of  respectful  sym- 
pathy. 

Suddenly  one  among  them,  with  a  sly  and 
comprehensive  smile,  cried  : 

"  Bosh  !  " 

Did  he  know  from  experience  ? 


78 


Chapter  III 


SERGEANT-MAJOR  ROTH  was  sitting 
late  one  autumn  afternoon  with 
Sergeant  Schmitz  at  a  coffee-table 
in  his  cosily-heated  parlour. 
The  room  on  the  first  floor  of  the  barracks 
presented  at  first  sight  an  appearance  of 
luxury,  and  one  could  almost  fancy  that  some 
member  of  the  "  Upper  Ten "  had  pitched 
his  tent  here,  till  on  nearer  view  the  decora- 
tions proved  to  be  mostly  shoddy  and  pre- 
tentious, revealing  in  their  cheap  splendour 
that  striving  after  an  effect  of  style  which  is 
really  best  attained  by  simplicity. 

The  green  and  blue  coloured  wall-paper 
was  in  places  completely  hidden  by  huge 
pictures  in  heavy  oak  and  gilt  frames.  A 
reproduction  of  Lenbach's  "  Prince  Bis- 
marck "  hung  over  the  red  plush  sofa,  and 
to  right  and  left  of  it  two  portraits  of  horses 
painted  in  oils.  Against  the  opposite  wall 
stood  a  piano  of  imitation  ebony  with  silver 
candle-sconces,  though  neither  the  Sergeant- 
Major  nor  his  wife,  who  had  been  a  shop- 
girl,   could    play.      A    history    was    attached 

79 


LIFE  IN  A   GARRISON  TOWN 

to  this  piano,  on  which  one  of  the  younger 
non-commissioned  officers  of  the  regiment 
regularly  every  Sunday  thumped  out  the 
"  Blue  Danube  Waltz/'  with  a  monotonous 
accompaniment  of  chords.  The  eye  of  its 
owner  never  rested  on  it  without  a  certain 
fierce  resentment  against  the  innocent  "  wire 
machine."  In  the  first  year  of  their  married 
Ufe  Frau  Sergeant  had  complained  bitterly 
of  not  having  a  grand  piano  or  even  a  cottage 
piano  to  call  her  own,  especially  as  their 
colleagues  of  the  second  squad  possessed  an 
instrument.  She  deplored  the  lack  of  this 
hall-mark  of  gentility  all  the  more  because 
she  had  frequently  boasted  of  having  taken 
lessons  in  her  youth. 

Roth  used  to  talk  big  to  the  one-year 
volunteers  of  the  squadron  of  his  wife's 
musical  talents,  and  never  failed  to  lay  stress 
on  the  fact  that  these  were  becoming  sadly 
rusty,  because  he  had  not  the  means  to 
provide  her  with  a  pianette.  Therefore  he 
was  hardly  surprised  when  one  day  the  black 
"  caterwauHng  case "  as  he  dubbed  it  face- 
tiously, appeared  in  his  salon  with  an  epistola- 
tory  dedication  from  its  generous  donors. 
But  when  the  time  came  for  the  one-year 
volunteers  to  get  their  discharge,  a  van  drove 
80 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

up  to  the  horrified  Sergeant's  door  to  take 
the  piano  away  again  ;  for  it  had  only  been 
hired  for  six  months.  Rather  than  be  the 
object  of  his  comrades'  scorn  and  derision, 
and  in  compliance  with  his  wife's  entreaties, 
Roth  consented  to  purchase  the  piano  by 
monthly  instalments  of  lo  marks.  The  luck- 
less piano  stood  thus  unused  against  the  wall, 
while  the  bill,  a  long  way  from  being  paid  off, 
swallowed,  every  first  of  the  month,  a  precious 
10  mark  gold-piece.  Hence  the  Sergeant- 
Major's  ire  at  the  presence  of  this  useless 
ornament  to  his  quarters.  Above  the  piano 
rioted  an  enormous  lithograph  of  Verne  t's 
well-known  "  Funeral  Feast,"  in  a  heavy 
brocade  frame,  to  the  comers  of  which 
tnmipery  Japanese  fans  were  fastened. 

A  mahogany  what-not  stood  near  the 
piano  with  six  green  wine  glasses,  this 
time  a  present  paid  for  in  hard  cash  by 
former  one-yearers.  There  was  also  a  heavy 
oak  writing-table,  on  the  corner  of  which 
stood  a  bird-cage  filled  with  yellow  feathered 
occupants ;  whereas  a  ruler,  a  massive  ink- 
stand composed  of  stags-horn  bars,  a  penholder 
and  blotting-book  represented  the  usual  equip- 
ment of  this  article  of  furniture.  A  life-size 
picture  of  the   Kaiser  hung  over  the  writing- 

8i  G 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

table.  It  was  surrounded  by  antlers,  and 
beneath  it  were  a  pair  of  crossed  sabres  and  a 
cuckoo  clock.  In  the  window  stood  a  large 
table  of  flowers  which  on  close  inspection 
proved  to  be  blossoms  not  produced  by  a  hot- 
house, but  by  the  scissors  of  an  expert  artificial 
flower  manufacturer. 

The  floor  was  covered  with  two  white  fur 
rugs,  three  pieces  of  carpet,  as  well  as  a 
genuine  tiger-skin  underneath  the  sofa  table, 
on  which  was  a  plush  table-cloth  with  great 
tassels  almost  sweeping  the  ground. 

The  prospect  from  the  two  windows,  which 
looked  east  and  were  draped  with  ponderous 
curtains,  was  to-day  one  of  masses  of  dark 
cloud  scudding  across  the  sky,  a  uniformly 
colourless  sea,  and  occasional  showers  of  cold, 
drenching  rain  or  hail,  that,  driven  before  the 
howling  wind,  swept  over  the  town  and 
desolate  fields  like  monstrous  waves. 

With  the  rain  beating  against  the  panes  and 
the  wind  whisthng  in  the  stove  pipe,  the 
comfortable  warmth  of  the  room  was  all  the 
more  to  be  appreciated,  and  the  comiades 
to  be  pitied  who  were  on  duty  out  of  doors. 

This  was  the  time  when  every  year  the 
regiment  brought  its  Reservists  under  shelter 
in  the  huts  at  the  back  of  the  barracks.     In 

82 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

dogs*  weather  such  as  this  it  was  not  pleasant 
to  be  obliged  to  hang  about  the  parade- 
ground,  and  the  recruiting  sergeants  were 
objects  of  envy,  because  they  were  allowed  to 
hold  their  drill  in  the  stable  or  to  give  their 
instructions  in  theory  in  the  barrack-rooms. 

The  Reserve  had  its  advantages — you  got 
additional  pay;  and  Roth,  who  was  attached 
to  the  first  division  of  the  Reserve,  was  well 
satisfied.  Further  you  met  amongst  them 
now  and  then  old  acquaintances,  earlier  one- 
year  volunteers  who  when  in  the  Reserve 
kept  mostly  open  purse,  if  by  so  doing  they 
could  get  their  duty  Hghtened. 

Schmitz  was  forage-master  to  the  fourth 
squadron,  and  hkewise  told  off  to  the  Reserve. 
Anyone  who  wished  to  be  convinced  of  the 
excellent  manner  in  which  he  filled  his  post 
had  only  to  cast  a  glance  at  the  horses  and 
see  how  their  coats  shone,  and  how  plump 
and  clean  they  stood  in  their  straw.  The 
stable  itself  was  a  model  of  cleanliness  ;  not  a 
single  wisp  of  hay  straggled  out  of  the  mangers 
on  to  the  clean,  scoured  dam,  while  the  walls 
were  newly  whitewashed,  and  the  windows 
bright  and  clear. 

When  Schmitz  passed  up  the  stable  be- 
tween the  rows  of  horses  it  was  amusing  to 

83  G  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

see  how  all  the  animals  instantly  knew  his 
step  and  voice,  how  they  turned  their  heads 
towards  him  and  neighed  softly,  as  he  called 
one  or  other  of  his  favourites.  There  was 
*'  Klarchen,"  a  charming  little  chestnut,  who 
followed  him  about  hke  a  dog,  and  always 
put  her  nose  in  his  pocket  to  sniff  for  sugar. 
She  would  stand  on  her  hind  legs  and  beg 
with  one  uphfted  fore-foot.  Then  there  was 
the  "  grandmother,"  an  old  horse  with  coal- 
black,  glossy  hair,  who  because  of  its  age 
was  everyone's  pet,  and  often  pHed  with 
dainties. 

But  the  special  pride  were  the  twelve 
Chinese.  They  had  taken  part  in  the 
Asiatic  campaign,  and  had  then  been  incor- 
porated with  the  regiment.  Beautiful  horses 
they  were,  with  splendid  coats  and  powerful 
haunches,  though  not  all  of  them  were  so 
big  as  "  Pecho,"   "  Wei  "  and  "  Kwang-su." 

The  two  friends  still  sat  chatting  over  the 
coffee-cups  when  Frau  Roth  came  in.  She 
was  a  brunette  of  medium  height,  with  little 
eyes  and  beaked  nose.  Her  face  resembled 
a  bird's,  though  the  wavy  chestnut-brown 
hair  lent  a  certain  charm  to  a  head  that  was 
not  beautiful.  She  carried  a  tray  covered 
with  an  embroidered  serviette,  on  which  stood 

84 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

a  bottle  of  Moselle,  three  glasses  and  a  box 
of  cigars. 

"  By  Jove,  Roth,  this  is  a  ripping  blow- 
out and  no  mistake !  "  exclaimed  Schmitz  in 
astonishment. 

"  One  can  only  have  a  birthday  once  a 
year,"  said  Roth,  "  so  one  ought  to  make  the 
most  of  it.     Fill  up,  old  woman." 

Frau  Roth  obeyed  till  the  glasses  were 
full  to  the  brim  and  nearly  overflowed.  With 
a  jovial  "  Here's  to  you,"  all  at  one  draught 
drained  the  sparkling  fluid.  Then  they  raised 
their  glasses  once  more,  and  cHnked  them, 
looking  into  each  other's  eyes.  This  ceremony 
they  had  copied  from  their  superior  officers. 
Both  men  Ht  a  cigar  which  in  honour  of  the 
day  wore  a  label,  and  filled  their  glasses  anew. 
There  was  still  an  hour  before  the  evening 
duty  in  the  stable.  Earlier  there  was  nothing 
to  do,  because  Lieutenant  Specht,  who  com- 
manded the  Reserve  squadron,  never  came  on 
duty  of  an  afternoon,  so  they  might  enjoy 
themselves  in  peace. 

"  Do  you  spend  Christmas  on  leave  ?  "  Roth 
inquired  of  his  friend. 

"  Don't  know  yet,"  Schmitz  answered, 
shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  I  should  like  to, 
for  it  is  getting  on  for  two  years  now  since  I 

85 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

was  out  of  this  beastly  hole.  But  it  takes 
forty-eight  hours  to  get  home  from  this  out- 
landish place,  and  if  you  take  four  days  out 
of  the  six  for  travelling  the  game  is  scarcely 
worth  the  candle.  Besides,  it's  a  cursed  expen- 
sive trip." 

"  What  does  it  cost  ?  " 

"  About  30  marks,  and  I  haven't  got  it  to 
spare." 

Roth  smiled  contemptuously. 

"So  it's  a  few  shekels  that  you  let  stand  in 
your  way.     I  call  that  shabby." 

"  Shekels  are  nothing  to  you,  of  course.  But 
to  me,  who  have  none,  it's  different." 

"  Can  I  oblige  you  with  a  trifle  ?  " 

"  I  say,  old  man,  have  you  won  a  lottery 
prize  ?  You  have  been  living  Hke  a  fighting 
cock  lately,  taking  the  train  into  the  town 
every  day,  and  smoking  twopenny  cigars,  and 
now  you  offer  to  lend  !  You  must  have  come 
in  for  a  fortune." 

"If  I  have,  no  one  has  kicked  the  bucket 
and  left  it  to  me,"  Roth  said,  laughing  boister- 
ously. "  The  great  thing  in  this  life  is  to  look 
out  for  what  comes  in  one's  way." 

"  Have  you  got  on  the  blind  side  of  a 
Jew  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly." 

86 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 
"  What  do  you  mean  then  ?     Give  me  the 

tip." 

Roth  winked  at  his  wife  and  then  at  Schmitz. 
It  would  not  do  for  his  wife  to  hear,  but  directly 
she  rose  to  fetch  another  bottle  of  wine,  Roth 
began   in   a   whisper. 

"  I  can  tell  you,  but,"  he  laid  his  fingers 
significantly  on  his  mouth,  "  no  blabbing." 

"  Trust  me.  I  am  not  the  man  to  split  on 
you." 

"  You  know  I  have  got  the  second  Reserve 
at  present.  Last  time  most  of  them  were 
old  one-yearers — rich  young  farmers  and 
the  like.  You  remember  the  fat  young 
shopkeeping  swine,  and  Rosbach,  who  had 
a  dozen  horses  in  the  stable  at  home,  and 
Scheller,  the  petticoat  hunter,  and  the  rest 
of  that  lot  ?  The  fellows  don't  know  what 
to  do  with  all  their  money.  So  devil  take 
me,  think  I,  when  I  give  them  out  their 
uniform  and  pay,  if  it  matters  to  them  about 
a  scurvy  groschen  or  two  !  As  to  Scheller,  I 
reaped  a  little  harvest  through  him  into  the 
bargain.  The  night  before  they  were  dis- 
charged I  go  round  and  look  into  matters  to 
see  that  all  is  in  order,  and  there  if  I  did  not 
find  my  gallant  gentleman  in  company  with 
a  woman  !     I  was  just  going  to  let  out,  when 

87 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

he  says  in  my  ear,  '  Mum's  the  word,  Ser- 
geant ! '  Well,  then  I  held  my  tongue,  and 
the  next  day  at  noon  the  blue  corner  of  a 
banknote  was  sticking  out  of  my  cloak." 

"  Lord,  man  !  How  do  you  do  the  trick  ? 
What  if  some  of  them  should  give  you  away 
later  ?  " 

"  Not  one  of  'em  will  breathe  a  word.  They 
are  only  too  glad  to  shake  the  dust  of  the 
barracks  off  their  feet." 

"  Hum  !  I  should  be  afraid  of  a  row  if  I 
were  you." 

"  But  there's  no  chance  of  it.  Just  now 
I  have  another  lot  of  fat  creatures  on  hand. 
The  wealthy  butcher's  son  from  Brunswick, 
and  a  couple  of  brothers  stinking  of  money, 
I  can  tell  you.  Shall  I  be  fool  enough  to 
pay  them  the  few  paltry  marks  to  waste  on 
drink  ?  No,  not  I !  I  take  care  of  them 
myself.    So,  prost !  " 

The  glasses  clinked  merrily  and  the  next 
moment    were    empty    again. 

*'  How  do  you  like  this  stuff  ?  Cost  three 
marks  the  bottle." 

"  Damned  dear !  Where  does  it  come 
from  ?  " 

"  Part  of  last  year's  spoils.  You  re- 
member   the     one-year    man,     Rosner  ?       His 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

getting  rank  as  non-commissioned  officer 
seemed  to  hang  fire,  so  I  interfered,  and 
interested  myself  with  the  chief  a  little  on 
his  behalf,  and  he  got  his  gold  lace.  Sent 
me  a  case  of  wine  in  return.  Decent  chap, 
eh:?  " 

''  Rather !  " 

"  You  see,  old  man,  there's  nothing  like 
being  practical.  Up  till  last  year,  as  you 
know,  I  was  in  charge  of  the  commissariat. 
The  butcher  gave  no  end  of  trouble,  and 
said  in  answer  to  complaints  that  he  must 
send  bones  or  there  couldn't  be  fair  weight. 
Now  and  then  the  meat  was  beastly  bad, 
often  too  fat  or  too  stringy.  When  at  last  I 
fumed  about  it  and  threatened  to  report 
him,  he  said,  '  Don't  split.  Sergeant,  and  111 
never  forget  it  of  you.'  Since  then  I  get 
my  own  meat  of  him,  and  he  gives  me  decent 
weight,  I  must  admit.  But  the  day  before 
yesterday  the  meat  seemed  to  me  inferior, 
and  so  when  I  saw  him  standing  in  front  of 
his  shop-door  I  gave  him  a  reminder  and 
said,  '  My  boy,  look  out ! '  and  yesterday  there 
came  gratis  that  joint  of  irreproachable  roast- 
ing pork  which  my  old  woman  cooked  to-day. 
Yes,  my  friend,  the  straight  tip  is  to  save  in  one 
place  and  profit  in  another." 

89 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

The  Sergeant-Ma  j  or  grinned  and  tapped 
his  trouser  pocket,  in  the  depths  of  which 
rattled  a  well-filled  purse.  Then  he  tossed  off 
another  glass  of  wine. 

"  Drink,  man ;  you  are  not  drunk  already  ?  " 

"  Drunk  or  no,  it's  not  easy  to  stop.  So 
here's   '  Good   Health.'  " 

In  this  strain  the  conversation  proceeded. 
After  a  third  bottle  had  been  emptied  it  was 
easy  to  see,  judging  by  their  looks,  that  they 
would  not  be  able  to  stand  much  more. 
Their  eyes  had  a  glazed,  watery  stare,  and 
their  faces  were  flushed  scarlet  from  the 
unwonted  indulgence  in  Moselle.  They  grew 
loud  and  stuttering  in  their  speech,  and  Roth 
especially  could  scarcely  articulate  a  coherent 
sentence.  Suddenly  he  looked  at  the  clock. 
It  was  six,  the  hour  for  evening  duty  in  the 
stable. 

"  Come,  Schmitz,"  said  Roth,  *'  we  must  be 
off  to  the  stable  ;    the  beasts  will  be  hungry." 

They  staggered  on  to  their  feet.  Roth 
buckled  on  his  sabre,  and  the  two  topers 
stumbled  down  the  stone  staircase  of  the 
barrack.  Roth  let  his  sabre  drag  behind  him, 
and  it  was  a  funny  sight  to  watch  how  the 
heavy  weapon  bumped  clanking  from  step  to 
step. 

90 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Many  of  the  men  stuck  their  heads  out  at 
their  doors,  full  of  curiosity  to  see  who  was 
coming,  and  when  they  beheld  their  convivial 
superiors,  they  thought  to  themselves,  "  They 
have  had  a  drop  too  much.  If  one  of  us  reeled 
about  the  barracks  in  that  besotted  condition  we 
should   soon   be   dropped   on." 

At  the  exit  from  the  building  Lance- 
Corporal  Dietrich  of  the  fourth  squad  stepped 
up  to  Roth.  "  I  wish  to  ask  you,  Herr  Wacht- 
meister,  to  be  so  good  as  to  give  out  a  few 
coals  for  Room  X ;  our  ride  was  for  foraging, 
and  we  are  all  wet  through.  It  is  cold  upstairs, 
and  without  fire  our  clothes  will  not  be  dry  by 
the  morning." 

"  What !  Coals,  indeed  !  Go  to  the  Quarter- 
master !  I've  no  coal  for  you  scoundrels," 
hiccupped  Roth. 

"  The  Quartermaster  is  in  town  and  the  Herr 
Wachtmeister  has  the  key  of  the  cellar." 

"  Get  out  of  my  way.  You  don't  want  coal 
because  of  a  few  drops  of  rain.  Go  to  bed 
if  you  are  freezing,  you  low  pack  £'of 
swine." 

The  Corporal  hesitated  a  moment,  then 
with  an  indignant  face  he  went  back  into  the 
barrack.  The  stable-yard  was  by  this  time 
empty   again,    the   men   having   gone   back   to 

91 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

their  rooms  after  pulling  out  the  hay  and 
watering  the  horses.  Only  the  stable-guard  was 
still  present. 

One  of  them,  a  corporal,  had  in  civil  life 
become  so  fat  that  the  Quartermaster,  with 
the  best  intention  in  the  world,  couldn't 
find  a  coat  to  fit  the  "  over-fed  reservist- 
hound,"  so  the  unfortunate  man  had  to  go 
on  duty  in  a  fustian  suit  as  stable-guard. 
The  second  man  in  the  guard  was  consump- 
tive. It  had  only  been  discovered  a  week 
after  he  came,  and  now  there  was  no  object 
in  discharging  him,  as  in  the  stable  he  was 
not  exposed  to  hardships.  The  third  came 
from  Poland,  was  half  imbecile  and  grinned 
perpetually  like  a  lunatic  ;  he  was  unavailable 
for  service,  for  he  addressed  his  superiors  as 
"  thou,"  and  paid  them  the  honour  of  taking  off 
his  cap  to  them. 

The  forage-master  was  alarmed  to  find 
the  feeding-hour  so  long  gone  by,  for  his 
worst  enemy  could  not  deny  that  he  was 
scrupulous  in  the  care  of  the  beasts  committed 
to  his  charge.  He  called  the  stable-guard 
impatiently,  and  goaded  them  into  hurrying 
with  a  "  Run,  you  lazy  lumps."  The  little 
forage-cart  was  filled  with  oats  and  corn  and 
driven    into    the    stable-lane.      The    crunching 

92 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

of  its  wheels  was  the  sweetest  music  of  the 
day  to  the  horses.  As  they  heard  it  now  a 
new  Ufe  came  into  the  animals  that  had  been 
standing  hitherto  with  Ustlessly  hanging 
heads,  for  they  had  begun  to  think  their 
supper  had  been  forgotten.  They  plunged 
wildly  about  in  the  boxes,  butting  and  licking 
each  other,  and  kicked  out  exuberantly.  The 
rattle  of  chains,  combined  with  the  neighing 
and  whinnying  of  the  horses,  made  quite  a  din 
and  tumult.  "  Napoleon  "  was  so  mad  with 
hunger  that  out  of  pure  joy  he  greeted  the 
fat  corporal,  as  he  swung  the  fodder  towards 
him,  with  a  blow  in  the  stomach,  which  made 
him  drop  the  oats  and  press  his  hands  against 
the  injured  spot  with  a  face  distorted  by  pain. 

The  Sergeant-Major  saw  this  happen  and 
shouted  to  him  : 

'*  Go  on !  Pick  it  up !  A  pat  like  that 
won't  hurt  your  big  paunch.'' 

But  the  Corporal  showed  no  sign  of  obeying 
the  order  and  still  held  his  stomach,  while 
tears  started  to  his  eyes.  Then  Roth  wheeled 
round  on  him,  cuffed  him  in  the  back  with 
his  fist,  took  hold  of  his  throat  from  behind 
and  pressed  him  down  on  the  ground  with 
such  force  that  the  blood  mounted  to  the 
poor    fellow's    head    as    he    grovelled    for    the 

93 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

upset  oats  among  the  straw.  When  he  had 
finished  Roth  gave  him  another  shove  that 
brought  him  in  contact  with  "  Napoleon's " 
hind  leg,  to  which  he  clung  in  terror  of  faUing 
under  the  horse's  hoofs. 

This  was  a  little  more  than  "Napoleon" 
could  treat  as  a  joke.  First  no  fodder  and, 
then  such  a  liberty  taken  with  his  leg.  He 
struck  out  with  both  powerful  hind-legs  and 
hurled  the  poor  Corporal  out  into  the  stable 
lane,  where  he  lay  unconscious. 

For  a  moment  Roth  was  frightened. 

Luckily  no  one  had  witnessed  the  incident, 
as  Schmitz  was  busy  at  the  end  of  the  stable 
with  the  other  two.  So  he  called  the  two 
reservists  and  ordered  them  to  carry  the 
unconscious  man  into  the  quarter-room.  It 
was  likely  to  be  a  serious  business,  for  the 
poor  fellow  had  been  kicked  in  the  face. 

The  next  morning  when  the  First  Lieutenant 
inquired  why  the  Coipoial  was  in  hospital 
Roth    answered  : 

"  He  blundered  up  to  one  of  the  horses 
clumsily  and  frightened  it  so  much  that  it 
struck  out  and  hit  him  on  the  head." 

"  Wliat  an  ass  I  "  said  the  First  Lieutenant 
angrily.  "  By  rights  the  fellow  should  be  kept 
locked  up  for  spoiling  the  horses." 

94 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

The  Sergeant-Ma j  or  was  put  out  of  temper 
for  the  rest  of  the  evening.  Quiet  again 
reigned  in  the  stable,  only  the  sound  of  the 
horses  munching  the  oats  was  to  be  heard. 

Roth  looked   into  the   fodder-bin. 

"  Give  what's  left  to  *  Zeus.'  He's  lean," 
he  said  to  Schmitz. 

"  No.  I'll  give  him  no  more,  he's  had 
enough ;  besides,  he  kicked  someone  this 
morning.  The  brute  goes  nearly  crazy  penned 
up  in  his  box  all  day  lame,  and  devouring 
such  a  heap  of  oats." 

"  Give  him  the  rest ;   he  can  stand  it." 

"  But  why  ?     It's  more  than  his  share." 

The  Sergeant-Major  grew  purple  in  the 
face.  Nothing  made  him  so  furious  as  to  be 
contradicted 

"  Give  him  the  rest,  I  say,"  he  blustered 
forth  once  more  to  Schmitz 

But  Schmitz  shut  down  the  cover  of  the 
bin   and  repHed  shortly  : 

"  I  am  always  glad  when  I  can  economise." 

Roth  roared  out  in  a  towering  rage  : 

"  Sergeant  Schmitz,  you  refuse  then  to 
carry  out  my  order  ?     I  shall  report  you." 

So  saying  he  turned  his  back  on  the 
dumbfounded  forage-master,  and  with  a  scowl- 
ing  countenance   reeled   out   of   the   stable   to 

95 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

his  quarters,  where  he  drained  a  glass  of 
schnaps  to  compose  his  nerves,  and  threw  him- 
self on  the  bed  in  his  uniform. 

The  consumptive  and  the  Pole  stuck 
another  handful  of  hay  in  the  manger  of  each 
horse,  and  lay  down  to  sleep  on  the  straw  in  a 
corner  of  the  stable. 

Sergeant  Schmitz  went  to  his  room  full  of 
thought. 

At  noon  the  next  day  an  orderly  of  the 
regiment's  reserve  squadron  handed  him  a 
document  that  ran  as  follows  : — 

Report. 

Yesterday  during  the  evening  stable-duty 
Sergeant-Ma j  or  Roth,  who  was  superintending 
the  same,  issued  a  command  to  Sergeant 
Schmitz  which  the  latter  did  not  carry  out. 
When  Sergeant-Ma  j  or  Roth  repeated  the 
command  with  emphasis,  Sergeant  Schmitz 
again  refused  to  follow  it.  The  incident  took 
place  in  the  presence  of  the  stable-guard. 
Further,  the  said  Sergeant  Schmitz,  according 
to  the  evidence  of  the  said  Roth,  was  drunk. 
— (Signed)  Specht,  First-Lieutenant  of  the 
Squadron  and  Officer  in  Command  of  the 
znd  Reserve 

96 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

The  forage-master  was  at  his  dinner  when 
the  sergeant  for  the  week  came  up  to  him, 
declared  him  under  arrest  and  took  him  to  the 
local  police-station,  where  he  was  to  await  a 
final  decision  on  the  case.  His  offence  was 
described  as  a  distinct  refusal  of  obedience  in 
the  presence  of  an  assemblage  of  troops.  Thus 
the  two  sentinels  of  the  stable-guard  counted 
as  an  assemblage  of  troops. 

News  of  the  occurrence  spread  Hke  wildfire 
from  mouth  to  mouth.  Everyone  was  indig- 
nant at  Roth's  harsh  and  high-handed  conduct, 
and  the  officers  themselves  were  unanimous 
in  their  opinion  that  such  a  bully  ought  to  be 
dismissed. 

But  Roth  himself  felt  very  important  and 
conscious  of  having  performed  an  heroic  act. 
Off  duty  he  was  a  comrade  who  would  allow 
you  to  crack  a  joke  with  him  and  not  spoil 
sport,  but  once  on  duty,  the  devil !  Then 
shouldn't  the  common  soldier  learn  to  know 
his  place !  then  all  familiarity  was  at  an 
end,  and  it  was,  "  I  command  and  you  obey, 
or  ril  break  your  neck."  Meanwhile  Sergeant 
Schmitz  sat  inert  in  his  cold,  dreary  cell. 
All  day  he  had  stared  at  the  uneven  stone 
floor,  and  beheved  he  must  be  dreaming. 
He  could  not,  no,  he  could  not  believe  that 
97  H 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

on  account  of  a  military  misdemeanour  he  had 
really  been  put  behind  bolts  and  bars.  After 
nine  long  years  of  service  in  which  he  had 
conducted  himself  blamelessly  without  ever 
once  being  punished  ! 

Only  by  degrees  he  awoke  to  a  conscious- 
ness of  how  serious  his  position  was,  and  at 
the  same  time  there  grew  up  within  him  a 
burning  hatred  of  the  man  whom  he  had 
regarded  as  a  friend,  who  in  a  rage  induced 
by  drink  had  torn  from  him  the  fruits  of  his 
unblemished  past  and  blasted  his  future. 
Directly  he  was  free  again  he  would  show 
him  up,  the  knave  !  The  low,  sordid  nature 
beneath  the  rascal's  plausible  exterior  should 
be  hidden  from  no  one. 

There  seemed  to  him  little  doubt  that  he 
would  be  brought  before  a  court-martial.  As 
the  matter  stood  it  was  on  the  surface  dis- 
tinctly an  insubordination,  but  the  trial  must 
lay  bare  the  circumstances  that  led  up  to  the 
apparent  breach  of  discipHne.  The  Court 
would  have  to  take  into  consideration  every 
aggravation  given,  and  afterwards  only  deal 
with  the  quarrel,  to  which  a  purely  professional 
character  might  be  falsely  attributed  if  the 
friendly  relations  which  had  existed  between 
Roth    and    Schmitz    up    to    the    moment    of 

98 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

the  punishable  action  were  not  borne  in 
mind. 

This  point  must  be  elucidated  at  the  inquiry 
with  skill  and  penetration,  for  the  result 
depended    on   it. 

Sergeant  Schmitz  therefore  appUed  to  the 
regiment  for  an  advocate,  and  at  the  same 
time  for  permission  to  communicate  with 
him  either  by  letter  or  word  of  mouth.  He 
was  not  a  Httle  taken  aback  when  after  a 
few  days  the  information  reached  him  that  a 
military  tribunal  could  only  provide  counsel 
for  the  defence  in  the  final  trial  of  a  misdemea- 
nour, but  there  was  no  hindrance  to  the 
prisoner  engaging  an  advocate  at  his  own 
expense  and  holding  consultation  with  him 
during  the  inquiry.  So  this  was  the  state  of 
things.  And  where  was  he  to  get  money 
for  his  defence  ?  Without  counsel  he  felt  there 
was  small  prospect  of  success,  that  he  would 
be  at  a  disadvantage  before  the  glib-tongued 
Roth  and  his  judges. 

He  could  not  set  forth  all  the  circumstances 
of  the  case  in  the  right  light  which  seemed 
to  him  so  important  for  clearing  up  the  matter. 
There  was  no  help  for  it ;  the  money  must  be 
found. 

After  three  weeks  of  preliminary  inquiry,  a 
99  H  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

day  was  at  length  appointed  foi  the  proceed- 
ings. Schmitz  now  awaited  the  result  with 
calmness,  for  his  advocate  had  pronounced  it 
a  certainty  that  the  case  must  go  in  his 
favour,  so  soon  as  the  judges  had  a  clear 
sketch  laid  before  them  of  all  the  circum- 
stances and  of  Roth's  conduct.  Schmitz  looked 
forward  therefore  to  the  day  as  the  moment  of 
release  from  the  soHtude  and  wretchedness  of 
the  last  three  weeks. 

Not  that  the  charge  sheet  which  was  at 
last  laid  before  him  sounded  very  propitious, 
but  he  would  not  let  it  depress  him,  beheving 
it  to  represent  the  affair  in  the  worst  Hght 
possible,  in  order  that  a  motive  might  be 
found  for  the  proceedings  at  all. 

It    ran  : — 

"  Sergeant  Ferdinand  Julius  Schmitz  is 
charged  and  Hable  to  punishment  for  offend- 
ing against  Clause  94  of  the  Military  Statute 
Book.  Although  the  accused  asserts  that  he 
stood  in  particularly  friendly  relations  to 
Sergeant-Ma j  or  Roth,  it  is  impossible  to  see 
in  that  circumstance  any  reason  which  justifies 
his  failing  to  carry  out  a  command  when  on 
duty. 

"  Moreover  the  disobedience  occurred  after 
a  command  given  twice  with  emphasis  in 
100 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

presence     of     the     stable-guard,     thus     before 
assembled  troops. 

"  The  plea  made  by  the  accused  that  in 
consequence  of  over-indulgence  in  wine  he 
was  in  an  excited  condition  does  not  ex- 
tenuate his  fault.  On  the  contrary,  the  fact 
of  bringing  drunkenness  into  the  sphere  of 
duty  is  only  hkely  to  be  a  reason  for  increas- 
ing the  penalty. 

**  Final  decision  on  the  case  will  be  given  by 
a  court-maitial." 

The  language  was  ominous,  certainly.  As 
if  he  were  a  criminal  of  the  blackest  dye — he 
who  for  nine  years  had  served  the  regiment 
without  reproach !  He  could  almost  have 
laughed  over  the  charge ;  it  contained  such 
a  tiumped-up  and  one-sided  view  of  the 
case. 

On  the  20th  of  October  at  noon  the  pro- 
ceedings began. 

The  judges  had  come  over  from  the  country 
seat  of  the  General  in  command  of  the  regiment, 
and  sat  with  serious  faces  at  the  long  table,  a 
major,  a  captain,  a  first  lieutenant,  a  court- 
maitial  barrister  to  lead  the  case  and  another 
who  read  the  charge. 

After  Schmitz  had  again  given  his  version 
of    the    affair,    Roth    was    called    as    witness. 

lOI 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

He  put  the  whole  matter  in  the  very  darkest 
light.  He  disowned  ever  having  had  any 
friendship  with  Schmitz  and  denied  most 
emphatically  being  drunk,  as  Schmitz  had 
affirmed.  He  had  got  the  consumptive  and 
the  Pole  to  bear  witness  to  his  sobriety. 
The  latter  had  been  instructed  by  Roth  to 
shake  his  head  in  response  to  all  questions, 
a  method  which  met  with  success,  as  it 
chanced  to  be  most  damaging  to  the  accused. 
Finally  the  Sergeant-Ma j  or,  with  great  solem- 
nity and  in  steady  voice,  swore  that  he  was 
speaking  the  truth. 

This  gave  an  unexpected  turn  to  the 
affair.  Schmitz  had  not  reckoned  on  having 
to  contend  with  lies,  and  his  hopes  sank  to  a 
low  ebb  when  he  met  the  Major's  eyes  fixed 
on  him  with  an  expression  of  haughty 
disapproval. 

Then  followed  the  speech  for  the  prosecu- 
tion by  the  court-martial  barrister,  which  was 
very  much  to  the  same  effect  as  the  charge- 
sheet.  Afterwards  counsel  for  the  defence 
rose,  and  described  the  occurrence  once 
more  in  fluent  language.  He  weighed 
every  little  circumstance,  referred  to  the 
former  friendly  relations  of  the  two  men, 
which  had  been  corroborated  by  evidence,  and 

102 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

concluded  by  pointing  out  that  the  whole  thing 
was  but  a  wind-up  to  a  birthday  carousal.  In 
consideration  of  this  and  the  previous  unstained 
career  of  the  accused,  he  claimed  for  him  an 
acquittal. 

The  court  retired  for  consultation,  and  it 
seemed  a  long  time  before  the  judges  appeared 
again  with  grave  faces. 

Schmitz  thought  he  must  swoon  as  he  heard 
the  sentence. 

Two  months'  imprisonment ! 

He  saw  his  Hfe  blighted.  All  in  vain  had 
been  the  long  years  of  hard  work  in  which 
he  had  made  himself  a  wilHng  sacrifice  to  the 
service  of  his  Fatherland.  With  one  blow  his 
dreams  and  plans  for  the  future  were  laid  in 
the  dust.  He  could  never  now  after  twelve 
years'  service  obtain  the  post  in  the  municipal 
office  of  his  native  town.  What  would  become 
of  his  parents,  brothers  and  sisters  ?  What  of 
his  betrothed  ? 

An  inexpressible  fury  of  rage  took  possession 
of  him.  He  could  have  strangled  the  man  on 
the  spot  whose  coarse  temper  and  perjury  had  so 
ruined  his  prospects,  who  at  this  minute  passed 
him  with  a  sneer  on  his  face.  Yes,  he  even 
heard  the  Colonel  say  to  the  dishonourable 
cur: 

103 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

''  That's  satisfactory,  Roth.  Vigilance  on 
duty  is  what  I  desire  in  my  non-commissioned 
officers." 

Well,  he  would  have  vengeance.  He  swore 
that  he  would.  Schmitz  was  removed  by  a 
sergeant  on  the  20th  of  October  to  a  fortress 
where  many  hours  of  introspection  and  weary 
days  were  to  be  his  lot. 

Christmas  was  drawing  near.  The  barrack 
yard  was  covered  with  snow,  and  the  landscape 
lay  Hfeless  and  paralysed  by  the  bitter  cold  of  the 
last  few  days. 

A  great  number  of  the  soldiers  had  been 
granted  leave  of  absence  for  the  festival,  and 
all  of  them  were  straining  every  nerve  to  do 
their  work  well,  lest  at  the  last  moment  they 
should  be  robbed  of  the  pleasure  that  they  were 
looking  forward  to. 

The  officers  of  the  corps  took  the  train  nearly 
every  evening,  without  permission,  of  course,  to 
the  neighbouring  town  to  make  Christmas 
purchases,  for  only  one  of  them  was  going  home, 
the  others  intending  to  celebrate  the  festive 
occasion  in  the  casino,  and  to  give  little  presents 
there. 

Borgert  and  Leimann  always  returned 
loaded  with  parcels.  They  bought  e  very- 
thing  Jthat  took  their  fancy.  Money  to  pay 
104 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

for  the  presents  would  turn  up  later,  and  at 
this  time  of  year  tradesmen  were  delighted  to 
give  credit  if  they  could  thereby  get  rid  of 
their   wares. 

In  the  business  part  of  the  town  they 
patronised  a  certain  nook  in  a  comfortable 
restaurant,  where  they  dined  after  their  shop- 
ping, and  the  two  gentlemen  generally  went 
back  to  the  garrison  by  the  last  train  in  a 
very  convivial  humour.  One  night  a  new  brand 
of  "  RiesUng "  had  been  particularly  reHshed, 
and  all  reached  home  in  the  small  hours  some- 
what  fuddled. 

The  Adjutant  of  the  regiment  found  a 
telegram  awaiting  him  at  his  house  which 
concerned  mihtary  business,  and  despite  the 
lateness  of  the  hour  he  was  obliged  to  take 
it  over  to  the  regimental  secretary  to  be 
answered. 

Heavy  snow  had  begun  to  fall,  and  the 
keen  easterly  wind  drove  the  flakes  whirUng 
wildly  through  the  cold  night  air,  so  that  it 
was  hard  to  keep  one's  eyes  open  and  to  find 
the  way. 

This    midnight    disturbance    was    not    at    all 

to    the    easy-going    Miiller's    taste.      He    swore 

to    himself    as    he    came    along    the    barrack 

avenue,    for    dissipation    did    not    improve    his 

105 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

temper,  and  when  in  his  present  condition  he 
was  cantankerous  and  prone  to  pick  quarrels, 
in  the  course  of  which  he  would  cast  in  one's 
teeth  his  position  as  Adjutant,  and  his  long 
experience  of  the  service.  His  comrades  termed 
it  swelled  head. 

Only  the  lighted  window  from  the  guard- 
room was  discernible  through  the  cloud  of 
snowfiakes  that  danced  before  its  panes. 
Within  slept  the  sentry  and  two  privates. 
The  officer  on  duty  had  already  been  round, 
so  they  had  made  themselves  comfortable,  and 
against  the  rules  taken  off  sabre  and  helmet, 
loosened  their  coats,  and  fetched  a  warm  rug 
from  the  barrack. 

Private  Rose  was  on  guard.  He  had  taken 
shelter  from  the  weather  in  the  sentry-box,  and 
stood  with  his  sabre  clutched  in  his  cold 
fingers,  crouching  at  the  back  of  the  little 
black  and  white  striped  house.  Why  should 
he  not  ?     It  was  distinctly  permitted. 

His  thoughts  were  far  away  with  his 
parents,  brothers  and  sisters,  whom  in  two 
days'  time  he  was  to  meet  again  after  a  long 
separation.  How  happy  he  was  at  the  prospect 
of  going  home  now,  a  smart  young  cavalry 
soldier.  He  pictured  himself  embracing  his 
loved  ones  and  greeting  his  old  friends  in 
io6 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

the  stables,  "  Hans,"  the  good  old  horse,  the 
sleek  cows  and  the  fat  pigs. 

A  loud  call  suddenly  roused  him  from  his 
pleasant  dream. 

"  Sentinel !  " 

Rose  blinked  through  the  round  loophole  of 
the  sentry-box,  but  could  see  no  one. 

Only  when  the  loud  summons  rang  out  a 
second  time  on  the  winter  air  did  he  emerge 
from  his  box,  and  saw  a  figure  approaching 
through  the  blinding  snow. 

"  Why  didn't  you  salute,  you  hound  ?  " 
roared  the  Adjutant. 

"  Pardon,  Herr  Lieutenant,  I  didn't  see  the 
Herr  Lieutenant." 

"  Shut  your  mouth,  you  lying  scum.  You 
were  asleep  in  the  sentry-box ;  I  waited  here 
an  eternity !  But  I'll  teach  you  your  duty, 
you  clown." 

With  this  he  strode  on  and  left  Rose  stand- 
ing motionless  with  terror.  In  the  business 
room  of  the  regiment  he  wrote  the  following 
report  : 

*'  I  found  the  sentinel  on  duty  between  12 
and  2  sleeping  in  the  sentry-box.  It  was 
not  till  I  had  called  twice  that  he  came  out. 
Any  declaration  on  the  man's  part  that  he 
did  not  see  me,  I  can  beforehand  denounce  as 
107 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

a   falsehood,   for   I   took  special   notice   of  his 

having  been  asleep." 

He    laid    the    report    on    the    commandant's 

writing-table.     Then  he  got  the  secretary  out 

of  bed,  kept  him  standing  ten  minutes  in  his 

night-shirt  in  the  cold  corridor  while  he  gave 

him  instructions,   and   then  went   back  to  his 

house    feeling    he    had    cooled    his    head    and 

earned  repose. 

*  *  * 

On  the  afternoon  of  December  22nd,  Sergeant 
Schmitz  came  out  of  prison.  He  had  lost 
his  former  proud,  brisk  bearing,  his  face  was 
white,  his  black  moustache,  that  had  been 
wont  to  curl  upwards  aggressively,  hung  limp 
and  straight  round  the  corners  of  his  mouth. 
He  looked  shyly  at  everyone  he  met,  and  if  a 
soldier  greeted  him  he  regarded  it  as  a  special 
sign  of  friendliness  quite  undeserved.  He 
fancied  that  he  read  in  every  eye,  "  See,  here 
comes  a  felon,  a  criminal." 

On  reporting  himself  to  the  chief  of  the 
squadron,  the  latter  held  out  his  hand. 

"  I  am  really  sorry,  my  dear  Schmitz,  that 
I  must  lose  you.  You  were  always  a  sub- 
ordinate to  be  proud  of,  and  no  one  else 
could  equal  you  in  the  performance  of  your 
duty.  But  it  is  the  Colonel's  orders  that  I 
108 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

cancel  your  capitulations,  and  immediately 
discharge  you.  The  Sergeant-Major  will 
settle  up  the  details.  You  may  console 
yourself  with  the  reflection  that  you  have 
been  the  victim  of  the  spite  of  a  vulgar- 
minded  bully.  I  wish  you  good  luck,  and  if 
you  ever  want  my  help  I  shall  be  pleased  to 
give  it.    Good-bye." 

It  was  with  difficulty  that  Schmitz  kept 
back  his  tears.  The  Captain  turned  towards 
the  stable.  He  really  felt  it  very  keenly  that 
this  nice,  honest  fellow,  a  prop  and  ornament 
to  the  squadron,  should  for  nothing  at  all  be 
plunged  into  misfortune  and  put  on  the  penal 
list. 

So  Schmitz  went  next  to  the  sergeant  on 
duty,  who  gave  him  his  papers  and  fifty  marks 
on  his  savings-bank  book.  He,  too,  shook  his 
hand  warmly. 

"  Have  you  any  claims  on  the  sick  pension 
fund,    Schmitz  ?  "   he   asked. 

*'  I  have  had  rheumatism  since  the  man- 
oeuvres, when  we  had  to  bivouac  three  weeks 
on  account  of  an  epidemic  amongst  the 
horses." 

"  But  you  didn't  report  that,  and  it  is  now 
more  than  a  year  and  a  half  ago." 

"  No.     I   didn't   report   it   because   I   didn't 
109 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

want  to  write  myself  down  sick.  I  had  no 
wish  to  leave  the  Captain  in  the  lurch  with 
the  horses  weak  and  run  down." 

"  Well,  I  will  at  once  make  a  report  of  it 
to  the  regiment.  Meanwhile  you  can  give 
up  your  things." 

Schmitz  mounted  to  his  room,  packed  his 
uniform  together,  and  corded  his  few  posses- 
sions in  a  small  box.  Before  he  took  off 
his  uniform,  however,  he  went  into  the  town 
and  bought  a  civilian's  suit  for  forty-five  marks, 
a  collar  and  a  hat.  Shoes  he  had.  Then  he 
carried  all  his  uniform  and  accoutrements  to 
the  quartermaster,  to  whom  he  sold  his  extra 
coat,  his  own  cap  and  a  pair  of  trousers 
for  thirty  marks.  He  retained  his  sabre  as  a 
keepsake.  Now  came  the  hardest  part  of  it 
all — ^his  leavetaking  from  comrades  and  the 
horses.  Everybody  had  a  kind  word  for 
him,  and  many  a  silent  handshake  expressed 
the  pain  of  parting  thus  from  a  comrade  who 
had  endeared  himself  to  all.  Even  the 
common  soldiers  thronged  round  him  to  bid 
him  farewell.  It  was  true  he  had  often  rated 
many  of  them  soundly,  but  they  all  respected 
him  as  a  decent  fellow  who  had  stood  by  them 
in  trouble. 

When  the  midday  stable  duty]  was  over, 
no 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Schmitz  went  in  to  the  horses.  Nothing  in 
all  his  life  had  ever  been  so  hard  as  this  ; 
and  as  the  beloved  beasts  looked  up  from 
their  recently  filled  troughs  at  him  so  soon 
as  they  heard  his  voice,  he  could  have  cried 
aloud  in  his  grief  and  pain. 

He  had  brought  a  lump  of  sugar  for 
*'  Klarchen,"  and  when  he  came  near  her  she 
hunted  at  once  for  the  accustomed  delicacy, 
and  with  raised  foot  begged  for  another.  He 
laid  his  head  against  the  animal's  neck,  which 
was  as  smooth  as  satin,  stroked  her  caressingly 
over  the  beautiful  eyes  and  the  soft  ears, 
and  kissed  her  on  the  throat.  As  he  turned 
to  leave  her  he  felt  that  the  melancholy 
look  she  gave  him  and  the  low  neigh  were 
meant  as  a  farewell.  He  said  good-bye  to 
old  "  Marie  "  and  wondered  how  much  longer 
she  would  be  available  for  service.  Last  of 
all  he  went  to  "  Napoleon,"  the  "  Child  of 
Wrath,"  but  to-day  even  he  showed  no  sign 
of  his  usual  viciousness,  and  only  looked  at 
the  strange  man  in  mufti  with  enquiring 
eyes. 

One  more  farewell  glance  at  the  favourites, 
and  Schmitz,  with  strangled  sobs,  went  back 
to  his  room  to  fetch  his  box.  At  the  entrance 
he  met  the  sergeant. 

Ill 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Your  claims  for  sickness,"  said  he,  "  don't 
hold  good  now,  Schmitz,  the  Colonel  declares. 
You  should  have  put  them  in  at  once. 
What's  more,  he  handed  me  the  bill  sent  in 
by  your  lawyer,  who  has  asked  the  regi- 
ment to  see  it  is  paid.  The  sum  is  sixty 
marks  ;  if  you  can't  pay  it  you  may  leave  a 
pledge." 

Schmitz  had  not  thought  of  this.  After  a 
moment's   reflection  he   said : 

''In  an  hour,  sergeant,  the  money  shall  be 
handed  in." 

Whereupon  he  went  to  the  town,  entered 
a  watchmaker's  shop  and  laid  his  silver  watch 
and  chain  on  the  counter,  and  asked  in  a 
steady  voice  : 

"  How  much  will  you  give  me  for  it  ?  I 
need  money." 

The  watchmaker  regarded  the  article  with  a 
scornful  eye,  and  then  said  : 

"  Twenty  marks.  That  is  really  more  than 
its  worth." 

Schmitz  calculated.  Five  and  thirty  marks 
he  still  had  left.  Twenty  added  thereto 
would  make  five  and  fifty.  Five  marks  were 
still  lacking.  He  drew  resolutely  a  ring  from 
his  finger,  the  only  remembrance  he  possessed 
of  his  dead  father. 

112 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  What  do  you  value  that  at  ?  " 

"  Ten   marks,   not   more." 

"  Very  well,  I  will  let  you  have  it  for  ten 
marks." 

Schmitz  put  the  three  gold  pieces  in  his 
pocket,  went  back  to  the  barracks,  and 
counted  out  sixty  marks  to  the  Sergeant- 
Ma  j  or,  then  fetched  his  box  and  started  to 
catch  the  evening  train. 

Anyone  who  chanced  to  meet  the  pale- 
faced  man  with  downcast  eyes  would  not 
have  guessed  that  he  was  a  Royal  Prussian 
sergeant,  who,  on  account  of  a  trifling  fault, 
was  cast  out  on  the  world,  without  a  penny, 
with  rheumatism  in  all  his  bones,  and  a 
love  of  the  Fatherland  crushed  and  dead 
in  his  heart.  He  must  now  seek  a  new 
vocation  in  life  after  having  sacrificed  the 
best  of  his  powers,  his  health  and  his  youth, 
to  the  State. 

As  he  ascended  the  hill  from  which  he 
could  view  the  barrack  buildings  wrapped  in 
their  shroud  of  snow,  he  looked  back,  and 
shaking  his  fist  threateningly,  uttered  a  fierce 
curse. 

Then  he  went  to  the  station  and  got  into 
a  fourth-class  carriage  of  the  same  train 
which  was  bearing  many  soldiers,  laughing 
J13  I 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

and  joking  merrily,  to  their  homes  to  celebrate 
the  Christmas  festivities  in  the  bosom  of  their 
famiUes. 

It  was  the  evening  of  December  24th. 
The  whole  world,  thousands  and  millions, 
were  happy  to-day,  conscious  of  the  magic 
which  the  most  beautiful  of  all  Christian  feasts 
exercises  on  even  the  hardest  nature,  while 
it  awakes  in  all  of  us  sacred  recollections. 
It  is  the  High  Feast  of  God's  love  to  men, 
of  the  love  of  Christians  for  their  neighbours. 
No  one  can  Hsten  to  the  solemn  music  of 
Christmas  bells  without  a  sense  of  tender 
emotion  and  quiet  reverence ;  the  powerful 
monarch  in  his  palace,  the  poor  man  in  his 
cottage,  even  the  criminal  behind  the  bars 
of  his  prison  cell,  all  ahke  open  their  hearts 
to  the  beams  of  love  which  irradiate  this  holy 
eve. 

♦  *  « 

Friedrich  Rose  sat  in  the  chilly  cell  where, 
since  his  arrest  for  breach  of  his  duty  as 
sentinel,  he  was  suffering  a  punishment  of 
fourteen  days'  imprisonment. 

Through    the    slit    which    let    in    the    light, 

and  was  covered  with  fantastic  frost  patterns, 

he  could   look  up   at   a   window  on   the   first 

floor  of  the  third  squadron's   quarters,   which 

114 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

was  brilliantly  illuminated  by  a  Christmas 
tree.  The  solemn  notes  of  the  beautiful 
and  immortal  Christmas  hymn,  whose  music 
is  touching  in  its  very  monotony,  echoed 
sadly  on  his  ears.  He  sat  on  the  edge  of 
his  hard  plank  bed,  shivering  with  cold,  and 
a  tear  rolled  down  his  cheek  on  to  the  stone 
floor.  Again  his  thoughts  were  wandering 
to  his  home,  but  not  now  full  of  joyous 
anticipation ;  instead  depression,  sorrow  and 
wistful  longing  were  depicted  on  the  young 
man's  features.  With  what  pleasure  and  zeal 
he  had  enUsted  in  the  army !  His  father, 
once  a  sergeant  in  the  Cuirassier  Guards, 
had  always  painted  the  glories  of  military 
life  in  the  most  glowing  colours,  and  had  no 
higher  ambition  for  his  boy  than  to  see  him 
in  his  turn  a  smart  non-commissioned  officer. 
But  now  that  could  never  be.  He  was  under 
strict  arrest,  branded  with  shame  for  the  whole 
term  of  his  military  service. 

Suddenly  his  joy  and  pride  in  the  soldier's 
calling  had  been  turned  into  passionate 
hatred  of  the  "  red  coat "  and  of  all  that 
being  a  soldier  implied ;  with  one  blow  the 
industrious,  enthusiastic  recruit  had  been 
converted  into  one  of  the  many  who  are 
only   soldiers   because   they   are   obliged,    and 

115  I  2 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

who  look  forward  to  their  discharge  as  a  day 
of  freedom. 

And  why  had  this  happened  ?  It  was  not 
because  he  had  consciously  neglected  his 
duty,  but  because  one  of  those  officers  who 
are  supposed  to  be  gentlemen  had  found  it 
convenient  to  make  him  the  scapegoat  of 
his  drunken  ill-humour.  And  what  this 
gentleman  had  stated  in  his  report  stood 
there  as  an  unalterable  fact,  and  whosoever 
doubted  it  would  be  guilty  of  another  breach 
of  respect. 

Rose    had,    in    reply    to    questions    of    his 
Captain,      described      the     whole      occurrence, 
and    solemnly    maintained    his    innocence,    but 
the  Adjutant  had  persisted  that  the  man  was 
only    substantiating    his    falsehood.      What    he 
had  reported   was   a   fact.     Rather  should  he 
have    confessed,    "  I    have    done    you    an    in- 
justice,  for   I   made   a   mistake,   being   at   the 
time  drunk  and  out  of  temper."     But  it  was 
not  Hkely  that  he  would  own  himself  in  the 
wrong — ^he,    the   high   and   mighty   and   unim- 
peachable   Adjutant     of     the     regiment.       He 
had    never    done    such    a    thing    in    his    hfe, 
and,    after    all,    what    harm    would    it    do    if 
the   fellow   did   spend   a   few   days   sulking   in 
solitude  ? 

ii6 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

What  harm  ?  Only  this,  that  there  would 
be  one  apostle  the  moie  to  proclaim  that  as 
a  soldier  he  had  been  a  sorely  oppressed 
human  being,  forced  to  wear  a  heavy  yoke, 
the  victim  of  his  superior  officers'  capricious 
moods,  who  treated  him,  when  it  suited  their 
convenience,  with  an  undeserved  harshness 
and  injustice,  against  which  he  had  no 
weapon  of  defence,  such  as  he  would  have 
found  in  other  walks  of  life,  where  individual 
action,  self-respect,  and  character  play  a 
part. 

And,  further,  it  did  this  harm.  Rose,  in 
after  years,  when  he  laid  his  credentials  before 
anyone,  would  see  shoulders  shrugged,  and 
read  in  the  gesture  the  thought,  "  You  seem 
to  have  been  a  not  very  trustworthy  youth — 
fourteen  days  for  breach  of  sentinel  duty. 
That's  bad  !  " 

At  nine  o'clock  a  noise  at  the  door  roused 
Rose  from  his  reflections.  A  bunch  of  keys 
rattled,  the  lock  clicked,  and  the  officer  on 
duty  walked  in,  followed  by  the  guard. 

Rose  jumped  up,  saluted,  and,  standing 
erect  in  military  attitude,  reported  himself. 

"  Private  Rose.  Fourteen  days  for  breach 
of  sentinel  duty." 

The   officer   looked   round   the    dark   cell   to 
117 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

see  if  any  forbidden  articles  besides  the  plank 
bed  and  water- jug  had  got  in.  Then  he 
turned  to  go ;  on  which  Rose  said  hesita- 
tingly : 

"  Will  the  Herr  Lieutenant  grant  a 
favour  ?  " 

"  Ask  the  guard  if  you  want  anything," 
the  officer  answered  shortly,  and  clanked 
down  the  stone  stairs,  taking  care  that  his 
light  grey  cloak  should  not  brush  the  cob- 
webby walls. 

The  guard,  after  accompanying  him  to  the 
doorway,  came  back  to  Rose. 

"  What  is  it  you  want  ?  "  he  asked  kindly. 

"  I  should  Uke  to  know  if  a  letter  has  come 
for  me,  and  if  I  shall  be  allowed  to  have  it, 
Herr,"  Rose  answered  timidly. 

**  Humph,  my  lad,"  the  non-commissioned 
officer  laughed  good-naturedly.  "  That'll  hardly 
do.  First  pain,  then  pleasure !  "  But  he 
liked  Rose,  who  had  been  in  his  squadron, 
and  when  he  saw  the  poor  boy's  woe-struck 
face  he  felt  sorry  for  him.  It  was  a  hard 
case  indeed  to  have  to  spend  the  festive 
season  locked  up  here,  and  all  because  of  a 
trivial  charge  of  which  he  was  innocent.  So 
he  said  to  Rose  in  a  friendly  tone,  '*  Well,  now, 
perhaps  I'll  make  inquiries." 
Ii8 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

He  unlocked  the  cell  again  and  sent  a 
man  to  Rome's  squad  corporal  with  the  request 
that  he  would  come  up  to  him,  and  when  he 
came  the  guard  asked  : 

*'  Is  there  any  letter  for  Rose  ?  " 

"  A  letter  ?  No,  but  a  parcel  has  been  handed 
over  to  me  for  him." 

"  Look  here,"  whispered  the  guard  ;  "  just 
undo  it,  will  you,  and  let  the  fellow  have 
something  out  of  it.  I  am  sorry  for  the  poor 
wretch." 

The  Corporal  nodded  and  disappeared. 
In  a  minute  he  came  back  with  a  letter, 
a  sausage,  and  a  piece  of  cake,  and  the 
sentinel  took  them  all  and  went  up  to 
Rose.  At  the  same  time  he  motioned  a 
man  to  follow  him  with  a  scuttle  of  coals* 
Very  soon  the  cell  was  illuminated  by  the 
rekindled  fire,  and  in  the  light  of  the  flicker- 
ing flames  Rose  read  his  parents'  letter, 
Tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks  all  the  time. 
Then  he  hid  the  sausage  and  cake  in  his 
coverlet  as  if  they  had  been  precious  jewels, 
and  lay  down  on  the  hard  plank  bed.  Not 
long  afterwards  his  red,  tearful  eyes  closed 
in  sleep,  and  Rose  in  his  dream  was  joining 
hands  under  the  Christmas  tree  at  home  with 
father  and  mother,  sisters  and  brothers. 
119 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

December  28th  was  a  day  of  mourning  for 
the  fourth  squadron.  The  soldiers  who 
had  only  come  back  from  their  leave  the 
evening  before  accompanied  a  comrade  on 
his  last  journey ;  Lance  Corporal  Dietrich 
was  carried  to  the  grave.  He  had  always 
been  a  delicate  man,  and  that  day,  when, 
overheated  and  drenched  to  the  skin,  he  was 
not  able  to  light  a  fire  in  his  cold  room 
because  Roth  would  not  give  him  out  the 
coals,  had  been  the  last  nail  in  his  coffin. 
The  same  evening  he  was  tossing  in  a  high 
fever.  After  two  days  the  doctor  pronounced 
him  to  be  suffering  from  inflammatory  rheu- 
matism of  the  joints  and  said  his  heart  was 
affected.  On  Chiistmas  Day  the  unfortunate 
man  died  of  heart  failure. 

His  grief-stricken  parents  had  telegraphed 
entreating  that  the  corpse  of  their  only  son 
should  be  brought  home  to  be  buried,  but  as 
no  money  came  to  cover  the  expenses  of  a 
zinc  coffin  and  of  the  transit,  the  burial  took 
place  in  the  garrison  churchyard.  The  next 
day  the  reserve  corporal  who  had  been 
kicked  by  ''  Napoleon "  was  discharged  from 
hospital.  His  injuries  appeared  to  be  cured, 
but  his  whole  face  was  shockingly  disfigured, 
and  his  left  eye  had  been  removed  for  fear 
120 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

its    injuries    should    affect    the    sight    of    the 

other.      So    the    wretched    man    returned    to 

his  home,   a  physical  wreck,   to  subsist   on   a 

pension  of  nine  marks  per  month. 
*  «  ♦ 

The  former  Sergeant  Schmitz  was  sitting 
in  his  dreary  lodging  on  New  Year's  Eve. 

He  had  to  face  dire  poverty  and  was 
barely  earning  his  daily  bread  as  a  hand  in 
a  large  factory  in  the  neighbourhood.  He 
inhabited  one  cheap  room  on  the  second  floor 
of  a  workman's  tenement,  and  was  attended 
to  for  a  trifle  by  a  family  that  lived  in  the 
building.  He  sat  now  with  his  elbows  on  the 
table  and  his  face  buried  in  his  hands. 
Before  him  was  a  plate  containing  the 
remains  of  his  scanty  supper,  and  a  lamp 
with  a  broken  shade  threw  a  dull  red  glow 
on  the  bowed  figure  at  the  table  and  the 
miserable  furniture  of  the  small  room.  An 
iron  bed  with  a  red  and  white  striped  counter- 
pane stood  against  the  wall,  and  above  it 
was  fastened  the  scabbard  and  blade  of  his 
sabre  in  the  form  of  a  cross. 

A  jug  and  basin  stood  on  a  deal  chair,  and 
near  it  lay  a  greyish  towel.  The  fire  in  the 
Httle  stove  had  burnt  down  long  ago  and  only 
a   few   smouldering   sparks   lingered   there. 

121 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

It  looked  as  if  the  man  who  sat  at  the 
table  without  moving  must  be  asleep,  but 
Schmitz  was  wide  awake  and  wild  thoughts 
were  chasing  each  other  through  his  brain. 
He  was  thinking  of  the  past,  and  the  more 
crudely  his  present  condition  stood  out  in 
contrast,  the  more  fierce  was  his  hatred 
for  the  low  rascal  who  had  brought  him  to 
this  pass  ;  he  meditated  on  revenge  and  how 
he  could  punish  and  disgrace  his  enemy  for 
his  unscrupulous,  dastardly  conduct. 

For  some  time  he  continued  to  sit  there 
brooding,  then  with  a  lowering  countenance 
he  rose  and  went  to  the  window.  He 
brushed  away  the  frost-patterns,  and  looked 
over  to  the  illuminated  clock  in  the  church 
tower,  from  which  already  the  deep  melodious 
sound  of  the  bells  was  announcing  through 
the  cold  night  the  approach  of  the  New 
Year. 

Eleven  o'clock !  Schmitz  put  on  his  hat, 
seized  his  walking-stick,  put  out  the  lamp 
and    went    down    the    unlighted    staircase. 

For  a  moment  he  paused  on  the  ice-covered 
steps  before  the  front  door,  and  listened  to 
the  solemn  ringing  of  the  bells.  There  was 
no  other  sound  to  be  heard,  not  the  echo  of 
a  single  footstep,  only  far  away  a  sort  of  hum 

122 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

filled  the  night — the  hum  of  a  great  city  on 
the  eve  of  the  New  Year. 

Schmitz  shivered  and  turned  up  his  coat 
collar,  thrust  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  and 
with  the  stick  under  his  arm  hurried  to  the 
station,  where  he  took  a  twopenny  ticket  to 
his  old  garrison,  and  got  into  the  train,  which 
was  just  starting. 

The  tiny  town  lay  as  if  dead  and  deserted 
in  its  thick  shroud  of  snow.  The  brightly- 
lighted  barrack-windows  shone  out  in  the 
night  like  stars,  and  snatches  of  song  or  the 
notes  of  a  concertina  were  softly  borne  through 
the  air  on  the  wings  of  the  wind.  From  the 
distance  came  the  murmur  of  innumerable 
church  bells  welcoming  in  the  new  year  in 
the  surrounding  villages  and  hamlets.  The 
chatter  and  loud  laughter  and  songs  of 
festive  topers  who  were  drinking  the  old 
year  out,  fell  on  the  ear  as  he  passed  the 
brilliantly  lit  restaurants  and  beer-cellars. 
Schmitz  bent  his  steps  to  that  end  of  the 
town  where  the  barracks  stood,  and  stopped 
before  a  public-house.  He  looked  round 
him  nervously  to  see  that  no  one  was  watching 
him,  and  then  climbed  on  the  wall  and  peeped 
through  the  nearest  window. 

As  he  expected,  there  was  Roth  sitting  in 
123 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

a  circle  of  other  non-commissioned  officers 
and  corporals,  for  this  was  a  haunt  he  was 
wont  to  visit  every  evening  to  drink  far  into 
the  night  and  gamble  a  little. 

Cautiously  Schmitz  climbed  down  and 
strode  towards  the  barracks.  He  turned 
into  a  lane  flanked  with  high  snow-covered 
hedges  and  stationed  himself  in  the  first 
bend.    This  was   Roth's  way  home. 

Schmitz  had  a  long  time  to  wait  at  his 
post,   but  he  didn't  mind. 

The  bitter  cold  of  the  day  had  yielded  at 
midnight  to  a  mild  winter  breeze  which  drove 
the  fine  snowflakes  gently  before  it  and 
rustled  in  the  dry  branches  of  the  beech- 
hedge.  Below,  where  the  narrow  footway 
joined  the  road,  figures  were  to  be  seen  here 
and  there  rising  like  shadows  against  the  grey 
landscape,  and  staggering  noiselessly  away 
through  the  snow — topers  who,  after  a  night's 
debauch,  were  going  home  to  seek  their  bed. 

Schmitz  did  not  feel  in  the  least  cold,  for 
every  stroke  from  the  clock  in  the  distant 
steeple  sent  the  blood  coursing  quicker 
through  his  veins ;  the  moment  he  was 
anticipating  with  delight  drew  nearer  and 
nearer.  At  last  it  struck  two,  and  a  dark 
figure  was  seen  approaching. 
124 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

The  watcher  drew  himself  further  under 
the  hedge,  grasped  his  stick  tighter,  and  his 
heart  beat  as  if  it  would  burst. 

Roth  was  within  a  few  yards,  his  face 
almost  hidden  in  the  high  turned -up  collar  of 
his  cloak. 

Schmitz  recognised  the  Sergeant-Ma  j  or 
immediately  as  he  advanced  with  reehng  gait, 
whistling  a  comic  song  and  dragging  his  sabre 
behind  him. 

When  the  Sergeant  had  come  within  a  step 
of  the  spot  where  Schmitz  awaited  him,  the 
latter  planted  himself  in  his  enemy's  path, 
holding  his  stick  over  his  shoulder. 

Roth  started  at  first  Hke  a  wild  beast  at 
bay,  then  he  looked  keenly  at  his  antagonist. 
He  did  not  recognise  him. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  he  asked  with  a  dry 
throat. 

"  To  pay  off  old  scores,"  was  the  short 
rejoinder,  which  made  the  Sergeant-Major's 
blood  curdle. 

For  a  moment  the  two  men  stood  facing 
each  other,  and  Roth  recognised  his  quondam 
friend. 

*'  Ah  !  it's  you,  old  chap  !  What  are  you 
about  here  ?  "  he  stuttered  out  in  a  hoarse 
voice. 

125 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  This  is  what  I  am  about  !  "  cried  Schmitz, 
and  his  stick  swung  whistling  through  the 
air.  The  first  blow  caught  his  enemy  full  in 
the  face. 

The  terrified  man  staggered  a  moment, 
and  befoie  he  could  seize  his  sabre  hilt 
one  powerful  stroke  after  the  other  fell 
crashing  on  his  face,  head,  shoulders  and 
hands. 

Then  he  hurled  himself  Hke  an  infuriated 
bull  on  his  assailant.  Schmitz,  however,  with- 
stood the  attack,  and  at  last  felled  the  Sergeant 
on  his  back  to  the  earth  with  a  resounding 
blow  on  the  face. 

"  There,  you  dishonest  hound,  you 
cowardly  dirty  carrion,  take  that  for  your 
scoundrelly  meanness  and  that  for  your 
lies  { "  So  saying  he  gave  the  prostrate 
form  on  the  ground  a  farewell  kick  and  went 
his  way. 

He  called  back  jeeringly  over  his  shoulder 
to  his  victim  : 

"  Now  you  can  go  and  report  me  again, 
you  swine,  and  I  shall  have  another  tale  to 
tell  this  time." 

After  the  encounter  the  old  forage-master 
felt  comforted.  Now  he  could  bear  his  fate 
with  more  fortitude,  for  he  had  the  satisfaction 
126 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

of  knowing  his  adversary  punished.  Revenge 
is  certainly  sweet. 

Sergeant-Major  Roth  was  forced  to  spend 
several  weeks  in  hospital  till  the  wounds  on 
his  face  and  his  hands  were  healed.  The 
account  he  gave  of  the  accident  was  that  he 
had  been  assaulted  by  a  drunken  workman, 
whom  he  pretended  he  had  struck  down  with 
his  sabre.  But  no  one  quite  beUeved  this 
story,  for  no  wounded  workman  had  been  seen, 
and  neither  did  inquiries  of  the  doctors  in  the 
neighbourhood  eUcit  any  information.  Nearly 
everybody  knew  in  his  secret  heart  where  the 
rod  had  been  pickled  that  had  chastised  the 
abhorred  Sergeant-Ma j  or. 

Schmitz  commemorated  his  act  of  ven- 
geance on  the  eve  of  the  new  year  with  a 
glass  of  beer. 

As  he  discovered  in  the  light  of  the  lamp 
that  there  was  blood  on  his  hand,  he  wiped 
it  off  with  disgust  as  if  it  had  been  the  blood 
of  some  unclean  beast,  and  threw  his  pocket- 
handkerchief  into  the  fire.  Then  he  called  out 
gaily : 

"  Another  glass,  landlord  !  " 


127 


Chapter  IV 


TOWARDS  the  end  of  January  bustle 
and  excitement  reigned  in  the 
officers'  casino. 
A  whole  gang  of  carpenters, 
painters,  and  gardeners  were  employed  in 
converting  the  rooms  and  coiridors,  as  well 
as  the  verandahs  and  winter  garden,  into  a  scene 
of  festivity,  with  booths  and  tents,  so  that  King 
Carnival  should  have  a  worthy  entry  in  the 
early  days  of   February. 

Under  the  shade  of  the  trees,  gaily  painted 
kiosks,  decorated  with  posters  of  every 
description,  were  opened,  and  the  most 
tempting  dainties,  with  all  sorts  of  drinks, 
from  simple  seltzer  to  real  French  Hqueurs, 
were  to  be  offered  for  sale.  In  one  tent 
soldiers  were  dressed  up  to  look  like  a 
menagerie  of  wild  beasts,  in  another  a  stage 
was  erected  in  which  a  series  of  perfoimances 
were  to  keep  the  risible  faculties  of  visitors  to 
the  fete  in  constant  exercise. 

A  number  of  seats  on  the  two  lawns  were 
placed    there    to    attract    people    to    listen    to 
music    and    to    enjoy    genuine    Pilsener    beer, 
128 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

In  the  anteroom  a  temporary  registrar's 
office  was  opened  where,  over  a  glass  of 
champagne,  one  could  get  married  for  two- 
pence, and  divorced  again  an  hour  later. 

The  large  dining  hall  was  the  centre  of 
the  festivities.  A  platform  decorated  with 
evergreens  provided  a  place  for  an  orchestra, 
and  the  regiment's  trumpeters  had  been 
scouring  the  countryside  every  day  in  search 
of  a  really  ragged  strolling-musician's  get-up 
for  the  band. 

A  photographer's  booth  was  much  to  the 
fore,  on  the  outside  of  which  a  display  of 
groups  and  cabinets  were  enticingly  ex- 
hibited. Naturally  the  coming  fete  was  the 
chief  topic  of  conversation  at  the  officers' 
mess.  Each  was  anxious  to  appear  in  as 
original  a  costume  as  possible,  and  there  was 
endless  discussion  before  the  dresses  were 
decided  on. 

At  length  the  festal  day  arrived.  In  the 
afternoon  the  services  of  a  little  troop  of  hair- 
dressers came  into  requisition,  and  the  tailor 
of  the  regiment,  needle  and  cotton  in  hand, 
went  from  one  gentleman  to  another,  altering 
what  did  not  fit,  and  lending  a  helping  hand 
where  necessary. 

At  seven  o'clock  the  orderlies,  attired  like 
129  K 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

waiters  in  black  tail-coats,  were  ready  to 
receive  the  merry-makers,  and  in  less  than 
half  an  hour  most  of  the  officers  of  the  corps, 
with  their  wives  and  guests,  had  put  in  an 
appearance. 

As  they  moved  about  in  their  bright- 
coloured  and  more  or  less  tastefully  designed 
costumes  to  the  stiains  of  dance-music,  the 
effect  was  brilliant  in  the  extreme.  Cham^ 
pagne  soon  began  to  flow  bountifully.  One 
saw  here  a  rough  country  bumpkin,  with  a 
knotched  walking-stick  between  his  legs, 
devouring  a  portion  of  caviare  at  a  garden 
table,  while  near  him  a  circus  clown  dis- 
patched  a  lobster  i 

The  most  kiUing  sight,  however,  was  the 
Colonel  in  his  costume  of  a  Polish  peasant, 
with  a  fur  cap  on  his  head.  If  he  had 
appeared  at  a  pig  market  in  Pomerania 
dressed  thus,  every  purchaser  would  have 
taken  him  for  a  notorious  cattle-breeder 
with  whom  it  might  be  well  to  transact  busi- 
ness. He  seemed  to  have  little  difficulty  in 
playing  the  role  perfectly,  for  all  his  natural 
gestures  and  attitudes  were  admirably  adapted 
to  sustain  the  illusion.  As  the  champagne 
was  going  free  of  charge,  the  Colonel,  in  a 
very  short  time,  was  half  seas  over. 
130 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

His  illustrious  Adjutant  certainly  had  not 
been  happy  in  his  choice  of  the  costume  of  a 
Polish  Jew,  for  it  only  suppHed  what  had 
been  lacking  before  to  complete  his  Israehtish 
cast    of    countenance. 

Frau  Konig  was  charming  as  a  chamber- 
maid, and  her  blue  eyes  beam^ed  with  delight. 
Indeed  the  fair-haired,  trim  young  damsel 
could  easily  have  obtained  a  good  situation 
with  high  wages  had  she  played  her  pait  in 
earnest.  So  thought  a  young  huntsman, 
whose  features  bore  a  striking  resemblance 
to  those  of  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu,  and  he 
resolved  on  the  spot  to  "keep  company" 
with  the  neat-handed  Phyllis,  and  afterwards 
to  visit  the  registrar's  office  in  her  society. 
Only  the  end  of  the  f6te  cut  short  the  young 
couple's  blissful  honeymoon,  and  Bleibtreu 
was  rudely  awakened  to  reality  by  the  hus- 
band's command  that  the  mock  union  should 
be  forthwith  dissolved. 

Frau  Leimann,  as  a  Swiss  peasant  maiden, 
was  also  fascinating.  The  dress  suited  her 
remarkably  well,  and  Borgert  contemplated 
with  gloating  satisfaction  his  housemate's  pretty 
figure  and  little  feet. 

Frau  Kahle,  in  the  guise  of  a  flower- 
girl,  coquetted  with  the  young  men,  having 
131  K  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

attracted  all  eyes  to  the  decolletage  of  her 
bodice  by  fastening  on  it  a  magnificent  rose. 
She  played  her  part  to  admiration,  for  the 
exhilarating  effects  of  the  champagne  made  it 
come  naturally  to  her.  Lieutenant  Kolbert, 
who  was  got  up  as  a  "  dude,"  bought  her 
whole  stock  of  flowers,  and  then  bantered 
her  on  being  one  of  the  unemployed. 

Frau  Rittmeister  Stark  alone  seemed  out  of 
her  element  in  the  assembly.  She  had  been 
greatly  exercised  as  to  what  to  wear,  for  to 
appear  as  a  flower-girl  or  ballet-dancer  seemed 
a  little  too  audacious,  whereas  the  role  of 
butter  or  apple-woman  might,  she  feared,  be 
too  suitable.  Thus  she  floated  amongst  the 
throng  in  a  spangled  fancy  dress,  which,  in 
response  to  inquiries,  she  archly  described  as 
that  of  "  a  mermaid  of  middle  age."  Out  of 
clouds  of  pink  and  pale-green  gauze  billowed 
het  ample  bosom,  while  her  bare  arms  sug- 
gested the  stock-in-trade  of  a  strong  woman 
or  giant  lady  in  a  show. 

Three  of  the  junior  officers  were  capitally 
got  up  as  a  trio  of  vagabonds,  and  in  their 
dirt  and  rags  looked  as  if  they  had  really 
sneaked  in  from  the  high  road  to  attend  for 
once  in  their  lives  a  function  of  the  "  upper 
ten."  The  exceptional  opportunities  which 
132 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

this  disguise  offered  of  getting  inebriated  were 
not  neglected.  Lieutenant  von  Meckelburg 
stood  motionless  in  a  comer  dressed  as  an 
organ-grinder,  and  unable  to  make  up  his 
mind  to  mix  with  the  lively  crowd.  The 
expression  of  his  face  was  hardly  jovial,  and 
it  was  not  till  later,  when  he  had  hidden  his 
musical  paraphernaha  behind  a  marquee,  that 
his  spirits  gradually  rose,  for  which  change  in 
his  aspect  an  emptied  bottle  of  champagne 
was  responsible. 

The  band  played  most  charming  dance 
music,  and  devoted  itself  in  the  intervals  to  a 
beer  cask,  the  tap  of  which  was  to  be  seen 
protruding  from  the  green  firs  which  sur- 
rounded the  kiosk. 

At  II  o'clock  a  performance  began  on  the 
Httle  stage  erected  for  the  purpose.  A  Lieu- 
tenant recited  as  prologue  some  spicy  coup- 
lets, and  then  proceeded  in  cafe  chantani 
style  to  caper  about  in  an  extremely  low- 
necked  baby's  frock.  The  programme  closed 
with  a  burlesque  on  Shakespeare's  "  Hamlet," 
in  the  course  of  which  all  the  characters  came 
to  a  gruesome  end  by  means  of  poison, 
violence,  lightning  or  thirst.  At  the  close 
the  prompter  himself  came  on  the  boards  and 
was  so  overcome  by  the  scene  of  carnage 
133 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

going  on  before  his  eyes  that  he  ended  his 
uneventful  career  by  a  suicidal  plunge  down 
a  trap-door. 

In  this  manner  the  fun  waxed  more  fast 
and  furious,  so  that  at  last  there  was  Httle  to 
distinguish  except  the  ever-flowing  wine, 
between  the  carnival  of  the  officers'  corps 
and  the  boisterous  horse-play  of  a  village 
fair. 

Meanwhile  Lieutenant  Kolberg  had  re- 
tired with  Frau  Kahle  to  an  arbour,  where 
he  wheeled  a  gaiden  screen  before  the  door 
in  order  to  spend  a  confidential  half -hour 
undisturbed  and  unseen. 

A  little  flirtation  was  to  him  a  necessity  of 
existence,  and  he  hoped  to  console  himself  in 
his  present  companionship  for  the  lack  of 
sport  among  the  steady  daughters  and  virtuous 
wives  of  the  citizens  of  the  garrison  town. 
He  had  learnt  from  Pommer  what  sort  of 
character  Frau  Grete  was,  and  had  intended 
to  feel  his  way  diplomatically.  But  the  con- 
quest took  a  shorter  time  than  even  he  had 
calculated.  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  little 
woman,  intoxicated  with  rapture  and  pleasure, 
lay  in  his  arms,  and  the  fiery  young  gallant 
met  with  no  resistance  in  examining  minutely 
the  rose  on  the  bosom  of  his  new  mistress. 
134 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

What  a  different  sort  of  fellow,  thought  she 
was  this  from  his  halting,  awkward  pre- 
decessor ?  Here  was  someone  full  of  fire 
and  courage,  and  she  began  at  once  to  picture 
in  the  rosiest  hues  the  dehghts  of  an  amour 
with  this  newly-vanquished  Romeo. 

In  another  arbour  Lieutenant  Leimann  sat 
quite  alone  shedding  floods  of  tears.  He 
had  as  usual  reached  the  maudhn  stage 
punctually  after  the  sixth  glass. 

He  refused  to  be  comforted,  and  the  order- 
lies nearly  died  of  laughter  at  sight  of  the 
howHng  Hungarian  magnate  seated  on  a 
barrel,  looking  the  picture  of  misery,  sobbing 
his  heart  out. 

His  wife  found  the  situation  extremely 
boring,  and  decided  to  have  a  sick  headache 
on  the  spot.  So  with  a  tired  and  jaded  air 
she  retired  to  another  nook,  and  begged 
Borgert,  who  had  joined  her  there,  to  take 
her  home. 

Not  at  all  displeased  at  the  request,  he 
offered  the  fair  Swiss  peasant  his  arm,  led 
her  to  the  cloak-room,  threw  her  fur  cloak 
over  her  shoulders,  and  escorted  her  to  her 
house,  which  was  also  his. 

When  they  reached  the  door,   she  said,   in 
a  soft  voice,  sighing  deeply — 
135 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  The  air  has  done  me  good.  I  am  quite 
well  again." 

"  Then  do  you  wish  me  to  accompany 
you  back  to  the  casino  ?  "  was  Borgert's 
answer.  His  tone  betrayed  distinct  dis- 
appointment. 

"Oh  no  !  let  us  go  in  and  have  a  cup  of 
coffee.  It  will  do  us  good.  I  have  no  desire 
to  be  amongst  those  drunken  people  any  more. 
To  me  it  is  a  repulsive  sight." 

"  Just  as  you  like,  Gnadigste."  Where- 
upon he  put  his  key  in  the  lock,  opened  the 
door,  and  the  two  went  silently  up  the  dark 
staircase  together. 

When  they  entered  the  room  Borgert 
fetched  the  lamp  and  lighted  it.  He  knew 
exactly  where  to  find  it.  Then  he  took  up 
a  newspaper  and  threw  himself  lazily  into 
the  corner  of  the  sofa. 

Frau  Leimann  had  gone  into  the  next 
room,  and  in  a  few  minutes  reappeared  with 
the  coffee-machine.  She  had  taken  off  her 
fancy  dress  and  exchanged  it  for  a  morning 
negligee,  which  clung  in  soft  folds  to  her 
beautiful  figure. 

"  There !  "  said  she,  drawing  the  curtains. 
"  At  last  we  are  within  our  own  four  walls 
again,  and  can  have  a  comfortable  little  chat." 

136 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

She  sank  as  she  spoke  on  to  the  sofa,  and 
Borgeit  drank  in  with  his  eyes  the  outHne 
of  her  fair,  youthful  foim  beneath  the  soft 
draperies. 

"  At  last  we  are  alone,  one  might  say," 
Borgert  said  jestingly.  "  Let  us  hope  your 
husband  doesn't  come  home  soon  and  spoil 
our  idyllic  coffee-drinking." 

"  My  husband,"  repHed  Fran  Leimann,  with 
contemptuously  curled  lips.  "  He  can  stay 
where  he  is.  If  I  know  him,  he  won't  be 
home  till  the  morning.  Oh,  I  am  terribly  sick 
of  the  man.     I  may  speak  openly  to  you  ?  " 

"  Yes  gnadige  Frau.  Such  aie  the  joys  and 
sorrows  of  matrimony.  First  prove  him  to 
whom  you  are  going  to  bind  yourself  for  ever, 
says  Schiller,  or  else  there  will  be  trouble." 

"  You  speak  truly.  How  can  anyone 
during  the  few  weeks  of  an  engagement 
know  what  the  future  is  going  to  be,  as  one 
does  directly  one  is  married  ?  Had  I  fore- 
seen how  things  would  be  we  should  never 
have  committed  the  folly  of  getting  married. 
He  has  found  out  now  I  am  too  poor,  and 
every  day  he  is  becoming  more  intolerable 
to  me." 

"  For  that  reason  I  shall  never  marry.  The 
game  is  too  hazardous." 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Yes,  but  what  else  is  one  to  do  ?  "  answered 
Frau  Leimann,  almost  irritably.  "  Who 
would  wish  to  be  held  up  to  scorn  and 
ridicule  as  an  '  old  maid  '  ?  " 

"  According  to  our  laws  and  social  statutes, 
gnadige  Frau,  I  admit  one  must  certainly 
either  marry  or  remain  single.  But  it  is 
a  flaw  in  our  system  of  ordering  the  world. 
How  few  there  are  who,  after  long  years 
of  married  life,  if  confronted  with  the 
question,  Would  they  marry  each  other  if 
they  had  it  to  do  again  ?  would  answer 
honestly,  '  Yes.'  The  majority  would  will- 
ingly separate  on  the  spot.  I  therefore 
should  propose  that  a  condition  ought  to 
exist  whereby,  say,  after  ten  years  of  mar- 
riage, separation  should  be  possible,  and 
both  parties  permitted  to  enter  into  another 
contract  with  someone  else." 

"  You  are  right.  Many  would  be  glad  to 
part  from  each  other  after  the  first  week, 
yet  they  are  bound  to  go  on  vegetating 
together    in    so-called    wedlock." 

"  To  part  in  the  first  week  would  be 
acting  rather  precipitately,  my  dear  lady, 
for  there  are  husbands  and  wives  who  take 
some  years  to  learn  to  Imow  and  appreciate 
each    other,    and    then    it    may   happen    that 

138 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

they    become    deeply    attached    after    having 
lived  a  cat  and  dog  life  together." 

"  Of  course.  But  if  there  is  no  love  after 
ten  years  there  never  will  be  any." 

"  There  I  agree  with  you,"  Borgert  said, 
with  a  laugh.  "  You  see,  marriage  is  not  an 
up-to-date  institution.  It  may  be  all  very 
well  for  two  human  beings  who  have 
material  advantages  to  gain  by  their  union 
to  marry.  But  for  two  who  marry  because 
they  imagine  they  love  each  other,  when 
love  is  dead  marriage  is  a  martyrdom,  and 
therefore  there  ought  to  be  some  other 
arrangement  for  those  who  wish  to  come 
together,  but  not  to  be  fettered  for  Ufe." 

"  You  mean  that  marriage  in  these  cases 
should  be  replaced  by  *  free  love.'  " 

*'  Exactly,  gnadige  Frau,  either  that  or,  if 
for  any  other  reasons  it  should  not  be 
feasible,  why  not  have  an  arrangement  such 
as  they  have  in  Oriental  countries  ?  When 
a  husband  gets  tired  of  a  wife  there,  if  I 
may  express  myself  so  drastically,  he  passes 
on  to  the  next,  for  he  is  allowed  a  whole 
houseful,  and  he  is  never  Ukely  to  ^ei  so  sick 
of  one  when  so  much  vaiiety  is  granted  him 
in  love.  It  is  impossible  to  force  men  into 
loving  the  same  person  always  ** 
139 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  If  once  you  do  away  with  ordinary  marriage 
it  seems  to  me  free  love  would  be  preferable 
to  polygamy,  being  less  hampered  by  hard  and 
fast  restrictions/' 

"  Quite  so.  If  one  defines  marriage,  what 
does  it  amount  to  but  nonsense  ?  It  is  un- 
natural in  its  demands.  Marriage,  as  we 
understand  it,  is  a  contract  between  a  man 
and  a  woman  who  either  love  each  other  or 
for  whom  outward  circumstances  make  a 
union  advisable.  The  Church  and  the  Law, 
very  often  only  the  latter,  render  this  contract 
binding.  But  first  take  the  case  of  those 
who  love  each  other.  Will  their  love  last 
always  to  the  end  of  their  lives  ?  No.  Only 
in  a  very  few  instances  does  love  exist  to  start 
with,  but  the  marriage  laws  have  been  decreed 
by  God  and  Nature  to  bind  lovers  together. 
If  they  fail  to  accomplish  this  they  are  use- 
less. Secondly,  a  marriage  of  convenience  is 
not  a  marriage  at  all  in  the  true  sense.  A 
contract  entered  into  for  the  sake  oi  wor  dly 
advantages  belongs  to  the  sphere  of  com- 
merce, and  should  be  settled  by  business 
methods,  not  by  the  sacred  tie  of  matrimony. 
Thirdly,  a  marriage  which  presents  the 
possibility  of  love  cooling,  is  futile  ;  for  at  the 
ceremony  we  are  called  upon  to  make  a 
140 


LIFE   IN  A   GARRISON   TOWN 

solemn  vow  before  the  priest,  God's  repre- 
sentative, that  we  will  belong  to  one  another 
for  ever  in  the  bonds  of  love.  So  soon  as 
love  vanishes  this  oath  is  turned  into 
perjury.  And  how  can  anyone  force  me  to 
swear  what  I  myself  don't  know  I  shall  be  able 
to  perform  ?  It  is  impossible  to  go  against 
nature.  Thus,  the  whole  theory  of  marriage 
is  exploded.  But  what  else  have  the  Church 
and  the  Law  to  do  with  the  binding  together 
of  two  people  who  love  each  other  ?  The 
Church  gives  its  blessing  and  thereby  sanc- 
tifies the  union.  What  could  be  a  more 
superfluous  and  hollow  form  ?  For  the 
sacred  element  with  which  the  Church  cere- 
mony is  supposed  to  endow  the  union  is 
already  there  when  a  man  and  woman  know 
that  their  passion  is  strong  enough  to  unite 
them.  Further,  the  Law  must  exist  to  settle 
the  normal  standard  of  opinion  ;  without  the 
Law  there  could  be  no  State,  no  working 
together  for  a  common  end.  But  the  love 
that  is  to  unite  a  man  and  woman  needs  no 
laws  except  nature's.  The  Law  draws  up 
statutes  and  precepts  foi  the  general  benefit 
of  the  community,  but  it  has  no  control  over 
sentiment ;  it  cannot  make  that  lawful  or 
unlawful.  Certainly,  then,  for  two  people  who 
141 


L^ 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

really  love  each  other,  and  feel  that  they 
belong  to  each  other,  the  most  natural  and 
sensible  bond  is  that  of  free  love." 

"  But  why  should  they  not  marry  if  they 
are  so  convinced  that  they  belong  to  each 
other  ?  "  interposed  Frau  Leimann. 

"  Because  when  their  love  dies  they  will 
have  made  no  false  vows  at  the  altar,  and 
can  then  quietly  separate. 

"  There  is  the  Divorce  Court." 

"  Of  course  there  is.  But  a  divorce  raises 
so  much  dust,  and  often  has  such  unsatis- 
factory results,  that  a  pair  will  rather  continue 
to  live  together  in  perpetual  disagreement, 
year  after  year,  hating  and  despising  each 
other,  before  they  can  make  up  their  minds 
to  appeal  to  the  Divorce  Court.  Apart  from 
the  great  legal  difficulties,  it  is  not  easy  to 
arrange  separation  in  outward  circumstances, 
and  the  division  of  money,  and  so  on.  On  the 
other  hand,  when  free  love  ceases,  one  parts 
quietly  without  any  fuss,  and  is  saved  from 
the  miserable  farce  of  a  married  hfe  without 
love.  A  man  and  woman  whose  only  bond 
is  love  are  not  hkely  to  deceive  each  other, 
and  there  would  thus  be  less  sin  and  un- 
happiness  in  the  world." 

"  But  wouldn't  it  put  an  end  to  all  social 
142 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

intercourse  between  families,  in  a  circle  say 
of  officers  and  barristers  ?  All  the  women 
would  come  from  such  di:fferent  classes  that 
they  would  have  nothing  in  common." 

"I  see  nothing  to  object  to  in  that, 
gnadige  Frau.  Those  who  were  in  sympathy 
could  associate  with  each  other,  while  those 
who  were  not  would  not  be  forced  to  know 
each  other.  This  is  better,  surely,  than 
women  who  are  thoroughly  uncongenial  in 
their  tastes  having  to  appear  as  if  they  were 
great  friends  because  society  demands  it." 

"  I  dishke  the  system  above  all  things. 
Our  ladies'  coffee  parties  are  enough  to 
disgust  you  with  it." 

"  In  free  bve  a  woman's,  choice  of  her 
society  is  not  confined  to  one  class,  for  the 
man  does  not  make  use  of  the  woman  to 
improve  his  social  position  out  of  doors  or  to 
advance  himself  in  his  profession,  but  he 
requires  her  only  for  the  purpose  of  love,  for 
the  most  intimate  relations  of  the  home." 

*'  Yet  marriage  is  after  all  but  the  form  for 
the  law  of  nature  which  propagates  the 
human  race." 

"  Yes  ;  but  this  law  of  nature  is  much  better 
ordered  in  free  love  than  in  a  legal  union. 
Take  for  instance  a  maniage  where  love  has 
143 


LIFE   IN  A   GARRISON   TOWN 

ceased  to  exist.  The  pair  are  not  divorced 
and  children  are  brought  into  the  world  one 
after  the  other.  These  are  not  childien  born 
of  love,  and  their  education,  character,  and 
disposition  will  suffei  accordingly.  A  child 
is  not  slow  to  discover  when  there  is  no 
sympathy,  no  union  of  hearts  and  souls 
between  his  parents.  In  free  love  the  number 
of  children  will  be  Hmited,  because  a  husband 
who  loves  his  wife  sincerely  does  not  treat 
her  like  a  machine,  and  surely  two  children 
are  sufficient  to  promote  the  happiness  of 
a  marriage.  If  among  the  lower  classes 
the  number  of  children  diminishes,  one  of 
the  crying  evils  that  fosters  socialism  is 
removed." 

"  Well,  take  a  case  where  there  are  five 
children  of  a  legitimate  marriage  and  then 
substitute  free  love  for  such  a  marriage.  The 
man  will  probably  take  up  with  a  fresh 
woman  eveiy  year,  and  after  twenty  years 
under  normal  conditions  he  will  have  twenty 
children  instead  of  five.  What  will  become 
of  them  ?  He  can't  expect  to  bring  all  the 
children  of  his  old  liaisons  into  his  latest ; 
and  the  number  increasing  every  year,  how 
are  they  all  to  be  brought  up  ?  " 

"  There  might  be  a  law  to  make  a  father 
144 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

responsible  for  the  maintenance  of  children 
bom  of  free  love  similar  to  the  one  concern- 
ing ordinary  illegitimate  children.  Then  he 
would  be  careful  to  arrange  matters  so  that 
the  claim  on  his  income  should  not  be  too 
heavy." 

"  Suppose  Number  2  objects  to  the  child  of 
Number  i  being  brought  into  the  house  ?  '* 

"  There  might  be  institutions  on  a  grand 
scale  for  the  children  of  free  love.  Even 
under  present  conditions  it  is  often  better  for 
a  child  to  grow  up  away  from  its  parents 
and  not  to  be  a  witness  of  their  quarrels, 
which  can  hardly  have  a  salutary  effect  on 
his  mind.  Nevertheless  children  are  called 
the  pledges  of  love,  and  their  presence  in  a 
house  would  often  help  to  strengthen  the  tie." 

"  That   would   bring   us   back   to   marriage." 

"  Yes ;  but  a  marriage  that  might  be 
dissolved  any  day  of  one's  own  free  will. 
It  would  be  well  if  mankind  imitated  nature 
in  everything ;  to  try  and  elaborate  and 
improve  it  has  generally  the  opposite  effect. 
Animals  do  not  go  to  the  altar  or  the  registrar's 
office  when  they  want  to  mate.  And  so  soon 
as  they  have  had  enough  of  each  other  they 
run  away  in  opposite  directions,  one  north, 
the   other   south." 

145  L 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  But  we  are  not  animals/'  said  Frau 
Leimann    with    a    laugh. 

"  We  have  love,  they  instinct ;  that  is  the 
difference." 

Frau  Leimann  was  silent.  It  was  long 
since  she  had  engaged  in  such  a  serious  con- 
versation, and  her  head  quite  ached  with 
thinking  so  much.  It  seemed  to  her  there 
were  stiU  points  in  the  argument  to  be  con- 
tested, but  in  the  main  she  felt  free  love  was 
right,  and  almost  deplored  that  civihsation 
was  not  yet  advanced  enough  to  adopt  it.  It 
would  have  been  infinitely  more  to  her  taste 
than  marriage  with  a  tiresome,  ugly  man  like 
her  husband  who  had  so  many  bad  qualities. 
She  possessed  sufficient  feminine  penetration 
to  know  what  Borgert  was  driving  at  by 
thus  airing  his  views.  So  she  tip-tilted  her 
flushed  face,  glanced  roguishly  at  the  apostle 
of  Free  Love,  and  said  with  well  feigned 
ingenuousness — 

"  Now  please  tell  me  what  a  woman  is  to 
do  who  is  already  bound  by  the  law  of  mar- 
riage, and  yet  has  gradually  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  she  would  prefer  free  love  ?  " 

"  She  should  certainly  act  on  her  convic- 
tion, though  not  openly,  in  the  sight  of  all, 
being  bound  in  honour  to  recognise  outwardly 
146 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

the   still    existing   principle   of   marriage.      She 
should    manage    Hke    the    fair    Parisians." 

*'  Then  I  must  look  round  me  at  once  for 
some  clandestine  Romeo,  for  my  lawful 
husband  has  become  insupportable,"  Frau 
Leimann  exclaimed  merrily. 

"  Perhaps  I  can  be  of  some  service  to  you, 
Gnadigste,"  Borgert  retorted,  also  in  jest. 

"  You  certainly  may  simplify  matters,  for 
if  my  memory  is  not  at  fault  you  once 
were  kind  enough  to  offer  to  fill  the  role 
yourself." 

"  In  which  case  I  am  ready  to  offer  my 
services  now." 

"  Then  we  can  test  your  new  theory 
together.  It's  a  pity  there  is  no  secret  regis- 
trar's office  at  hand.  Ah,  but  I  forgot,  you 
reject   all   preliminaries   as   superfluous." 

"  Theie  is  no  necessity  for  them.  We  can 
transact  the  business  between  ourselves,"  said 
Borgert,  laughing. 

"  Does  it  require  no  formalities  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  a  great  many,  and  the  same 
as  come  after  a  legitimate  marriage  cere- 
mony." 

"  Indeed !  You  mean  a  pressure  of  the 
hand   and   an  intense,  tearful   expression." 

"  That  is  also  part  of  it." 

147  L  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Part  ?  What  comes  next  ?  I  have  such  a 
bad  memory." 

"  I  will  whisper  it  in  your  ear  if  you  will 
come  a  Httle  closer." 

Frau  Leimann  drew  herself  nearer  Borgert, 
and  said,  smiling  artlessly  : 

"  It  seems  to  be  a  great  mystery  " 

She    bent    her    head    towards    Borgert,    who 

at   this    moment   threw   both   his   arms   round 

the    beautiful    woman,    while    his    lips    sought 

hers.     She,  too,  put  her  arms  round  his  neck, 

and     they     clung    to    each    other    in    a    long 

embrace,   the   love   which   had   been  for  some 

time  pent  up  in  their  hearts  finding  vent  at 

last  in  a  glowing,  passionate  kiss. 
*  *  * 

The  lamp  had  burnt  low,  when  a  heavy, 
uncertain  step  was   heard   on   the   staircase. 

"He  is  coming  !  "  Frau  Leimann  exclaimed 
in  horror.  "  You  must  make  haste,  or  he 
will   hear   you." 

A  last  embrace,  and  Borgert  darted  through 
the  dining-room  to  the  far  end  of  the  corridor 
and  went  by  the  back  stairs  to  his  rooms  on 
the  ground  floor,  taking  the  precaution  to 
remove  his  shoes  before  he  crept  noiselessly 
down  the  dark  staircase. 

Frau  Leimann  blew  out  the  lamp,  put 
148 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Borgert's  coffee  under  the  sofa,  and  lay 
back  amongst  the  soft  cushions,  apparently 
asleep.  Meanwhile  Leimann  had  opened  the 
corridor  door  noisily,  and  entered  the  room 
where  his  wife  awaited  him. 

He  paused  a  moment  on  the  threshold. 
He  fancied  that  he  smelt  the  smoke  of  a 
cigarette.  Then  he  put  out  his  hands  and 
fumbled  on  the  table  for  a  match-box,  Ht  a 
candle,  and  beheld  his  wife  on  the  sofa. 

The  sight  touched  him.  The  faithful  little 
soul  had  been  sitting  up  then  to  make  him  a 
cup  of  coffee  ?  And  now  she  had  naturally 
fallen  asleep,  worn  out,  and  not  heard  him 
come  in.  He  approached  the  end  of  the  sofa 
cautiously  and  kissed  his  wife  on  the  forehead. 
She  started  up  with  a  little  cry. 

'*  Oh,  is  it  you.  Max  ?  Where  have  you 
been  all  this  time  ?  " 

"  Don't  be  angry,  my  angel,  for  keeping 
you  waiting,  but  I  never  thought  you  would 
sit  up.     Why  didn't  you  go  to  bed  ?  " 

There  was  an  affectionate  ring  in  his  voice 
that  sounded  almost  like  an  apology  or  plea 
for  pardon.  Frau  Leimann  rubbed  her  sleepy 
eyes  and  arose  wearily. 

"  I  was  obliged  to  wait  up  for  you,  Max, 
you  were  again  in  such  a  dreadful  condition. 
149 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

When  I  saw  you  sitting  there  it  made  me  so 
miserable  that  I  came  home." 

"  Alone,  and  so  late  !  Why  did  you  not  get 
an  orderly  to  accompany  you  ?" 

"  Borgert  brought  me  to  the  door.  He 
offered  me  his  escort." 

''  I  must  thank  him  to-morrow ;  he  is,  as 
a  rule,  very  attentive  to  you.  What  became 
of  him  ?  I  scarcely  saw  him  the  whole 
evening." 

*'  He  complained  of  headache.  He  probably 
went  to  bed." 

"  Why  didn't  you  offer  him  a  cup  of 
coffee  ?  " 

"  Really,  Max,  what  would  the  servants 
think  if  they  had  heard  me  bring  in  a  man  at 
that  hour  of  the  night  ?  Marie  is  always 
peeping  and  Hstening  at  keyholes ;  and  one 
has  to  be  careful  what  she  picks  up.  I  should 
be  afraid  to  say  how  much  she  has  gossiped 
about  us  already." 

"  Send  her  away  if  you  can't  trust  her." 

'*  I  should  have  done  it  long  ago,  but  I 
cannot  give  her  warning  till  her  wages  are 
paid." 

"  Then  pay  them  to-morrow." 

"  How  can  I  pay  them  ?  Have  you  got  the 
money  ?  " 

150 


LIFE   IN  A   GARRISON   TOWN 

"  I  ?  You  know  very  well  that  out  of  my 
wretched  screw  I  cannot  provide  for  the  house- 
hold. Hasn't  your  mother  sent  anything  this 
month  ?  " 

"  No ;  this  time  she  hasn't  enough  for 
herself." 

"  Oh,  of  course,  the  old  story." 

"  Is  that  intended  for  a  reproach  ?  You 
knew  from  the  first  that  I  was  not  well  off, 
so  do  me  the  favour,  please,  of  sparing  me 
your  grumblings  and  taunts,  for  they  are  in 
very  bad  taste." 

"  You  don't  Hke  to  hear  the  truth.  You 
ought  to  have  known  long  ago  that  to  keep 
up  a  household  without  money  is  an  absurdity. 
Every  day  now  there  is  the  beastly  nuisance 
of  first  the  butcher,  then  the  baker  and  the 
laundress  calling  for  their  money." 

"  Wasn't  it  you  who  gave  me  no  peace  ? 
You  who  refused  to  consider  the  obstacles,  and 
would  insist  on  a  marriage  ?  " 

"  I  may  have  done  so,  but  you  and  your 
mother  should  have  had  the  sense  to  see 
what  folly  it  was.  Your  mother,  at  least, 
knew  what  it  cost  to  keep  up  a  house.  How 
should  I  know  ?     Now  it  is  too  late." 

"  I  can  see  that  for  myself.  You  needn't 
rub  it  in.  But  I  am  not  to  blame,  and  if 
151 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

things  had  turned  out  according  to  my 
mother's  wishes  you  would  not  be  scolding 
your  wife  to-day.  You  were  not  the  only  man 
I  could  have  married." 

"  You  should  have  said  so  before,"  her 
husband  answered  contemptuously.  "  I  very 
much  regret  having  destroyed  your  brilHant 
prospects." 

"  You  are  more  vulgar  than  I  thought, 
Max." 

"  You  women  can  never  bear  to  hear  the 
truth.  Unless  one  is  eternally  flattering  and 
soft-soaping  you,  you  take  offence  at  once." 

*'  At  any  rate,  you  do  not  overwhelm  me 
with  attentions  of  that  kind." 

"  Because  you  don't  deserve  them.  Per- 
haps I  should  be  grateful  to  you  for  not 
knowing  how  I  am  to  pay  my  shoemaker's 
bill,  when  instead  I  might  be  leading  a  decent 
bachelor's  life  at  Staff  College  ?  " 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  you  insolent  wretch ; 
you  have  no  right  to  insult  me  !  Leave  this 
room  or  I  leave  the  house." 

"  I  obey  your  command,  my  Gnadigste. 
Sweet  repose  !  " 

So  saying,  Leimann  slammed  the  door  till 
the  window-panes  rattled,  and  went  to  his 
bedroom. 

152 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

His  wife  hid  her  face,  sobbing  in  the  sofa 
cushions,  and  poured  out  in  floods  of  tears 
all  the  anger  and  hatred  she  felt  for  her 
heartless  husband.  Her  whole  being  rose  in 
furious  revolt  against  the  brutal  nature  of  the 
man  whom  she  had  consented  to  follow, 
because  on  his  knees  he  had  sworn  he  could 
not  Hve  without  her.  Now  he  repaid  her  by 
trampUng  her  love  under  his  feet,  desecrating 
all  the  sacred  memories  a  woman's  heart 
associates  with  the  most  serious  step  in  her 
life,  instead  of  being  her  support  and  comfort  in 
time  of  trouble. 

And  only  a  few  minutes  before,  she  had,  as 

Borgert    released    her    from   his    embrace,    felt 

guilty  almost  of  committing  a  crime,  of  outraging 

the    sanctity    of    marriage    and    practising    a 

deception  on  one  who  suspected  nothing.    Now 

she  gloried  in  her  action,  and  was  sure  that  it 

was  only  her  husband's  just  retribution  for  his 

heartless,  unfeeling  brutality.     For  a  woman's 

heart  is  never  so  receptive  to  the  illicit  love  of 

another  man  than  at  the  moment  when  it  is 

writhing  under  the  death-blow  administered  by 

her  own  husband. 

*  *  ♦ 

The  dawn  of  the  new  day  drove  the  last 
merrjmiakers      from     the     casino.        Without 
153 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

exception  the  champagne  had  done  its 
work,  and  everyone  left  the  festive  scene 
in  a  state  in  which  it  would  be  very  easy 
afterwards  to  transgress  the  bounds  of  good 
manners. 

Five  struck  from  the  neighbouring  church 
tower  when  the  very  last  guests — Captain 
Stark,  his  wife  and  the  Colonel — mounted 
the  regimental  carriage  that  they  had  kept 
waiting  three  hours.  The  horses  were  so  stiff 
from  standing  so  long  in  the  rain  which  had 
come  on  that  they  could  hardly  be  induced 
to  drag  their  burden  through  the  morning 
mist.  Only  after  the  coachman  had  received 
a  poke  which  he  passed  on  with  the  whip  to 
the  poor  brutes  did  the  conveyance  rumble 
f 01  ward  and  deposit  the  night  revellers  at  their 
dwellings.  Lieutenant  von  Mechlenberg  and 
Lieutenant  Specht  could  scarcely  stand  on  their 
legs,  but  they  went  to  the  barracks  for  5 — 6 
drill  directly  they  had  changed  their  clothes, 
and  Specht,  it  is  true,  forgot  to  take  off  his 
false  moustache,  and  appeared  with  this 
unwonted  manly  decoration  before  his  amused 
recruits. 

The  other  gentlemen  preferred  for  the  most 
part  to  sleep  off  their  carousal  to  going  on 
duty,  thinking  that  before  11  o'clock  to-day 
154 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

there   wasn't   likely   to   be    a   captain   at   the 
barracks. 

They  were  right  in  their  conjecture,  though 
Captain  Konig  was  there  punctually  at 
7  o'clock  to  be  present  at  Bleibtreu's  riding 
instruction,  and  afterwards  to  take  in  hand 
an  inspection  of  the  barracks.  His  principle  was, 
enjoy  yourself  as  much  as  you  Hke,  but  duty  is 
duty. 

Hagemann  did  not  appear  on  the  scene 
before  eleven,  when  he  hoped  to  walk  off  the 
effects  of  his  debauch.  Stark,  on  the  other 
hand,  elected  to  stay  at  home  altogether. 
His  indefatigable  wife  took  the  command 
instead,  and,  with  the  report-book  in  her 
hand,  saw  that  all  the  riding  instructors  were 
at  their  different  divisions.  The  first  she 
dotted  down  as  having  shirked  duty  was 
Kolberg. 

At  1.30  she  received  a  visit  from  Captain 
Hagemann,  who  came  to  apologise,  because 
on  the  previous  evening,  in  consequence  of 
being  excited,  he  had  paid  the  "  sea-nymph  " 
some  rather  doubtful  compliments.  He  had 
expressed  himself  as  sure  that,  owing  to  her 
wealth  of  fat,  she  must  ride  the  storm 
superbly,  unless  her  size  caused  the  ocean  to 
overflow. 

155 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Leimann  likewise  hurried  through  the  streets 
in  his  helmet  to  offer  apologies  for  his  conduct 
of  last  night. 

When  twilight  fell  the  majority  of  the 
officers  were  gathered  in  the  casino  for  an 
evening  drink,  discussing  yesterday's  fete 
and  subjecting  those  who  had  taken  part 
in  it  to  more  or  less  trenchant  criticism.  Borgert 
had  much  to  say  in  his  most  bantering  tone  of 
the  latest  development  between  Frau  Kahle 
and  the  now  absent  Kolberg.  Nothing  had 
escaped  his  lynx  eye,  which  was  even  penetra- 
ting enough  to  see  what  passed  behind  a  garden 
screen. 

Meanwhile  the  object  of  his  satire  was 
sitting  comfortably  beside  the  stove  in  his  room, 
with  Frau  Kahle  on  his  knee. 

Her  longing  to  see  him  was  so  irresistible, 
that  on  the  pretext  of  having  shopping  to  do, 
she  had  escaped  from  her  husband,  and, 
under  the  cover  of  dusk,  had  hurried  to  the 
Httle  garden  at  the  other  end  of  the  town, 
where,  beneath  the  tall  chestnuts,  stood  the 
Httle  house  that  Kolberg  occupied.  This 
venture  met  with  such  success  that  it  seemed 
well  worth  while  to  repeat  it  as  often  as 
possible.  It  was  infinitely  preferable  to 
pass  a  cosy  hour  indoors  than  to  take  walks 

156 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

together,  for  in  this  tiny,  gossipy  hole  every- 
one was  on  the  look-out,  and  people  were  as 
pleased  as  Punch  when  they  got  hold  of  a 
tit-bit  of  gossip  which  their  neighbours  had 
not  heard.  The  very  trees  in  the  wood  could 
not  be  trusted,  for  hadn't  it  happened  once 
that  a  non-commissioned  officer  had  dropped 
down  from  the  top  of  an  elm,  at  the  £oot  of 
which  another  man  was  making  love  to  his 
sweetheart,  and  given  him  a  sound  thrashing  ! 
Besides,  the  weather  for  the  most  part  was 
atrociously  cold,  and  warmth  is  conducive  to 
love. 

She  met  scarcely  anyone  after  her  shop- 
ping. When  she  passed  through  the  dark, 
almost  deserted  streets  she  turned  her  steps 
in  the  direction  of  the  isolated,  lonely  Httle 
house. 

The  happy  pair  of  lovers  never  thought  of 
being  on  their  guard  with  the  servant,  who 
was  despatched  on  these  occasions  either  into 
the  town  or  to  the  barracks.  It  soon  struck 
him  as  odd,  however,  that  he  was  sent  on 
these  errands  regularly  on  Mondays  and 
Thursdays.  It  dawned  on  him  that  they 
were  only  an  excuse  to  get  him  out  of  the 
way,  for  the  commissions  he  was  sent  on 
were  suspiciously  strange  and  unnecessary, 
157 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

So  one  day  he  stationed  himself  behind  a 
tree,  and  not  a  Httle  to  his  amazement  he 
beheld  the  wife  of  Captain  Kahle  coolly 
walk  into  his  Lieutenant's  house.  His  curio- 
sity gradually  increased,  and  he  began  to 
make  a  custom  of  hiding  beneath  the  window 
and  listening  through  the  thin  panes  to 
every  word  that  passed,  or  from  the  branches 
of  a  neighbouring  tree  he  would  get  a 
bird's-eye  view  of  the  interior  of  the  room. 
He  was  so  astonished  at  what  he  saw  that 
at  last  he  felt  obhged  to  unburden  himself 
in  the  canteen.  There  he  found  an  appre- 
ciative audience  who  roared  with  laughter. 
But  merriment  reached  its  highest  pitch 
when  Kolberg's  faithful  servant  produced  from 
his  pocket-book  a  hair-pin  that  he  had  found 
in  his  Lieutenant's  apartment,  and,  handing 
it  over  to  Kahle 's  orderly,  playfully  requested 
it  might  be  restored  to  the  lady  who  owned 
it.  Kolberg's  servant  now  became  an  interest- 
ing personahty,  for  he  had  more  enthralHng 
things  to  relate  than  Leimann's.  The  latter 
had  much  to  tell,  it  is  true,  about  his 
mistress  and  Borgert ;  but  there  were  gaps  in 
his  story,  because  the  servant-girl  was  keep- 
ing the  result  of  her  most  interesting  observa- 
tions up  her  sleeve.  She  expected  that  a 
158 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

time  might  be  coming  when  it  would  prove 
a  trump-card  which  would  bring  forth  not 
only  the  wages  due  to  her,  but  a  substantial 
extra  reward. 

Thus  several  months  went  by.  The  secret 
of  Kolberg's  intimacy  with  Frau  Kahle  had 
by  degrees  leaked  out,  and  was  being  chat- 
tered about  in  every  circle  and  commented 
on  in  all  the  beer-cellars  of  the  Httle 
town. 

Kolberg's  brother  officers  knew  all  about 
it,  but  not  one  of  them  was  incHned  to  raise 
a  scandal  for  which  there  existed  so  httle 
positive  proof.  The  two  people  concerned 
would  deny  the  charges  as  slander,  and  that 
would  place  the  man  who  brought  the  charges 
in  the  wrong,  for  having  wantonly  attacked 
the  honour  of  a  fellow  officer,  and,  what  was 
worse,  the  honour  of  a  lady  of  the  regiment. 
The  consequences  might  be  serious  if  it  came 
into  court,  for  who  could  be  sure  that  Kol- 
berg's servant,  the  single  witness  of  the 
intrigue,  would  abide  by  his  statements  when 
brought  to  book  ?  It  was  quite  within  the 
bounds  of  probabiUty  that  out  of  fear  of 
punishment  he  would  repudiate  having  played 
the  eavesdropper,  or  put  a  different  and  much 
more  harmless  construction  on  the  affair. 
159 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

He  might  even  deny  having  seen  anything 
at  aU. 

On  the  other  hand,  one  naturally  dreaded 
the  mud  that  would  be  stirred  up  by  a  revela- 
tion of  the  affair,  which  would  involve  the 
dismissal  of  a  comrade  and  the  inevitable  duel. 
Captain  Kahle  was  universally  popular :  why 
then  make  things  so  unpleasant  for  him  ? 

So  the  matter  was  left  alone  till  gossip 
became  so  general,  especially  in  the  town,  that 
Captain  Konig  resolved  at  least  to  give  the 
commandant  a  private  hint. 

"  Is  this  an  official  report  ?  "  asked  the 
Colonel.  "  No  ?  Then  I  will  know  nothing  of 
it.  I  am  not  going  to  put  my  finger  in  any 
such  unsavoury  pie." 

Konig  felt  little  disposed  himself  to  take  the 
initiative  in  bringing  the  scandal  to  Hght,  and 
to  get  a  challenge  for  his  pains,  so  he  too  kept 
silent. 

Thus  it  happened  that  no  steps  were  taken 
in  any  quarter  to  end  the  talk,  and  a  state  of 
things  was  allowed  to  exist  that  reflected 
on  the  officers  and  was  highly  injurious 
to  the  repute  of  the  regiment.  In  other 
classes  of  the  community  the  offenders  would 
certainly  have  been  called  to  account,  whereas 
in  the  army,  which  claims  the  highest  ^privi- 
i6o 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

leges  socially  in  the  country  by  reason  of  the 
stainlessness  of  its  morals  and  its  irreproach- 
able reputation,  a  situation  which  outraged 
every  sense  of  decency  and  honour  was 
patiently  tolerated.  It  was  Colonel  von 
Kronau  on  whom  rested  the  gravest  respon- 
sibility. This  gentleman,  who  never  failed 
to  punish  with  remorseless  severity  and 
harshness  any  breach  of  discipline  so  long 
as  his  own  person  had  nothing  to  fear,  was 
willing  to  suffer  this  slur  to  remain  on  the 
honour  of  the  regiment  under  his  command, 
for  here  he  foresaw  circumstances  that  might 
be  personally  unpleasant :  either  he  might 
be  made  a  party  in  a  libel  suit,  or  his  position 
as  Colonel  would  be  compromised  if  his 
superiors  got  wind  of  what  was  going  on  in 
his  regiment.  He  felt  a  decided  distaste  to 
both  ideas. 

Very  welcome  then  was  the  news  which 
he  received  one  day  in  an  official  dispatch 
that  Rittmeister  Kahle  had  got  his  majority 
and  was  to  be  exchanged  to  a  South  German 
garrison.  Now  there  would  be  an  end  of 
the  whole  unpleasant  concern.  He  congratu- 
lated himself  doubly  on  not  having  taken  any 
hasty  action,  for  a  lucky  turn  of  fate  had 
relieved  him  of  the  trouble. 

i6i  M 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Kahle  was  delighted  at  his  unexpectedly 
quick  promotion.  He  had  reached  the  goal 
of  long  years  of  steady  work  and  honest 
endeavour.  He  felt  now  that  he  could  face 
the  future  with  more  serenity,  having  turned 
that  critical  comer  of  promotion.  He  did 
not  doubt  that  a  military  career  that  would 
offer  him  the  best  field  for  the  exercise  of  his 
abiUties  lay  before  him.  And  then  the  change 
to  a  pleasant  garrison — what  more  could  he 
desire  ? 

On  the  very  next  day  after  his  promotion 
all  the  officers  of  the  staff  assembled  at  a 
farewell  dinner  in  the  casino.  The  Colonel, 
in  honour  of  the  promoted  officer,  ordained 
epaulettes,  and  the  newly-made  Major  looked 
particularly  smart  in  all  the  glory  of  his 
orders  and  fringes. 

When  the  second  course  was  over,  the 
Colonel  rose  and  made  the  departing  comrade 
a  farewell  speech  couched  in  the  most  heart- 
felt expressions  of  admiration  of  his  sterling 
military  virtues  and  the  qualities  that  had  won 
him,  without  exception,  the  love  and  respect 
of  his  brother  officers  and  men.  He  then 
presented  him  with  the  customary  silver 
goblet  with  the  name  and  number  of  the 
regiment  engraved  on  it. 
162 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Kahle  responded  in  a  voice  shaken  with 
emotion.  Mingled  feelings  of  joy  at  his  pro- 
motion and  pain  at  parting  from  the  comrades 
of  the  garrison  which  for  so  long  had  been 
the  scene  of  his  activity  found  an  echo  in 
his  farewell  words.  Though  he  had  often 
wished  himself  out  of  the  God-forsaken  Httle 
place,  with  all  its  petty  gossip  and  vexations, 
now  it  came  to  the  point  it  cut  him  to  the 
heart  to  part  for  ever  from  the  spot  where  for 
so  many  years  he  had  honourably  striven  to 
serve  his   country. 

The  officers  mustered  in  full  force  at  the 
station  on  the  following  day  at  noon  to  see 
the  Major  off.  When  he  had  said  good-bye 
to  each,  and  the  Colonel  had  embraced  him, 
he  turned  to  take  leave  of  his  wife  and  little 
boy.  This  farewell  touched  him  so  deeply 
that  he  could  scarcely  conceal  the  tears  that 
rose  to  his  eyes. 

He  felt  an  unusual  tenderness  for  his  wife, 
in  prospect  of  the  new  home  started  under 
the  pleasantest  conditions  of  his  new  position. 
She,  too,  would  cure  herself  of  her  little 
faults  in  fresh  surroundings,  and  forget  the 
bitterness  of  having  passed  the  best  years  of 
her  young  Ufe  in  a  little  frontier  town,  the 
dulness    and    narrowness    of    which   had   often 

163  M  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

been  irksome  to  her.  He  believed  that  so 
soon  as  she  was  settled  in  the  charming  South 
German  garrison  town  their  domestic  life 
would  become  more  agreeable.  New  impres- 
sions would  rub  off  the  angles  and  put  an 
end  to  the  small  bickerings  of  their  married 
life,  for  they  were  entirely  attributable  to  the 
seclusion  and  ennui  which  were  bound  to 
make  a  woman  of  Hvely  temperament  dis- 
contented and  captious. 

Frau  Kahle  was  to  stay  behind  in  the 
old  garrison  till  the  removal  of  the  furniture 
was  over,  and  Lieutenant  Weil  and  his  wife 
had  begged  her  to  accept  their  hospitality  for 
the  time  being. 

The  plan  suited  Frau  Kahle  admirably,  and 
she  accepted  the  invitation  with  delight. 
It  gave  her  an  opportunity  of  enjoying 
Kolberg's  society  for  a  few  days  longer, 
unrestrained  by  the  necessity  of  making 
excuses  for  her  goings  and  comings.  Perhaps 
she  would  be  able  to  manage  a  whole  day 
and  even  a  night  on  the  pretext  of  going 
a  journey  on  business.  Before  parting  for 
so  long,  it  might  be  for  ever,  she  must  take 
a  proper  farewell  of  her  lover,  and  drain  the 
cup  of  pleasure  to  the  dregs. 

One  day  the  Weils  were  sitting  with  their 
164 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

guest  at  four  o'clock  coffee  when  the  orderly 
brought  in  a  letter  for  Frau  Kahle,  which 
had  been  handed  to  him  by  the  postman. 
She  opened  it,  and,  after  glancing  over  it 
hurriedly,  stuck  it  in  the  pocket  of  her  coat 
with  a  slight  blush. 

"  Frau  Pastor  Klein  has  written  to  invite 
me  to  coffee  this  afternoon,"  she  explained. 
"  She  would  Hke  to  see  me  again  before  I 
go  away.  Charming  of  her,  isn't  it  ?  I 
think  I  had  better  go  at  once,  or  I  shall  be 
late." 

She  got  up,  emptied  her  cup  standing,  and 
then,  with  a  smiHng  "  Au  revoir  till  this  even- 
ing," danced  to  the  door.  A  few  minutes  later 
Weil  saw  her  from  the  window  walking  off 
hurriedly  in  the  direction  of  the  town. 

''  Extraordinary !  "  he  exclaimed  to  his 
wife.  "  She  hasn't  had  much  intercourse 
with  the  pastor's  wife  before,  scarcely  knows 
her,  indeed  !     I  wondei  if  it's  a  ruse." 

"  Pray  let  her  go  where  she  Hkes,  Max," 
Frau  Weil  answered  indifferently.  "It  isn't 
our  business.  In  a  few  days  she  will  be  gone, 
and  after  all,  she  is  responsible,  not  we,  for  her 
actions." 

But  Weil  shook  his  head  and  went  to  his 
study. 

165 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

At  eight  o'clock  Frau  Kahle  had  not  come 
back,  and  they  began  to  be  anxious  about 
their  guest.  What  could  have  happened  to 
her  ? 

While  the  servant-girl  was  laying  the  ta!ble 
in  the  next  room,  the  husband  and  wife  went 
through  the  various  possibihties  that  might 
account  for  their  guest's  prolonged  absence. 

"  Minna,"  said  Frau  Weil,  turning  to  the 
servant,  "  it  will  be  best  for  you  to  go  to  the 
Frau  Pastor's  house  and  inquire  if  Frau  Major 
Kahle  is  there.  I  shall  have  no  peace  till  I 
know  where  she  is." 

"  She  cannot  be  at  the  Frau  Pastor's, 
madame,"  the  girl  answered.  "  At  about 
half-past  four  I  saw  the  gnadige  Frau  as  I 
went  to  fetch  the  milk.  She  was  in  the 
avenue,  and  the  Frau  Pastor  lives  close  to 
the  church." 

"  Then  theie  is  no  object  in  sending  to 
them,"  said  the  First  Lieutenant  with  a 
shrug  of  the  shoulders.  "As  I  thought,  it 
was  only  a  ruse,  so  that  she  needn't  say 
where  she  was  going  in  reality.  I  know  her 
little  game." 

*'  What    do    you    know.    Max  ?  "    his    wife 

asked   curiously.      "  Where   do   you   think  she 

can  be  ?  " 

i66 


LIFE   IN   A   GARRSION   TOWN 

"  She's  at  Kolberg's,  or  I'll  eat  my  hat." 

"  But,  Max,  how  can  you  say  so  ?  She 
surely  wouldn't " 

"  Wouldn't  she,  though  !  I  tell  you  that's 
where  she  is." 

Both  were  silent  as  the  girl  re-entered, 
put  the  tea-urn  on  the  table,  and  then  drew 
from  her  pocket  a  crumpled,  three-cornered 
piece  of  paper,  which  she  handed  to  Weil 
with  a  significant  smirk. 

"  Perhaps,  master,  or  you,  mistress,  have 
dropped  this  ?  " 

While  Minna  withdrew  the  Lieutenant 
gazed  at  the  note,  his  eyes  wide  with  astonish- 
ment. Then,  with  a  mocking  laugh,  he  held 
the  missive  out  to  his  wife. 

"  Kindly  look  at  this,  and  be  convinced. 
Theie  it  is  in  black  and  white." 

Frau  Weil  took  the  paper  somewhat  hesi- 
tatingly, and  read  : 

"  I  shall  expect  you  at  half -past  four  to-day ; 
to-morrow  on  duty." 

Address  and  signature  there  were  none ; 
but  it  was  Kolberg's  unmistakable  hand- 
writing. 

"  A  pretty  story  !  This  is  what  we  invited 
her  for,  then  ;  to  He  and  hoodwink  us,  and 
can-y  on  her  pranks  under  our  very  nose  ! 
167 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Didn't  I  tell  you  we  had  better  leave  it 
alone  ?  But  you  insisted  on  asking  her.  If 
you  had  only  listened  to  me  I  should  have 
been  spared  the  distasteful  task  of  turning 
the  baggage  out  of  my  house/' 

**  Good  gracious,  Max,  you  can't  do  any- 
thing of  the  kind.     Put  the  letter  in  the  fire." 

"  Not  I,"  burst  out  Weil.  "  111  kick  her  out 
of  the  house.  Do  you  think  I  am  going  to 
keep  a  refuge  for  abandoned  women  ?  She 
can  go  where  she  pleases.  I  decline  the  privi- 
lege of  entertaining  her  any  longer ;  and  the 
letter  shall  not  be  put  in  the  fire,  but  shall  be 
laid  before  a  Court  of  Honour  !  " 

Weil  strode  up  and  down  the  room,  his 
hands  in  his  pockets.  His  stem  glance 
betrayed  his  anger  and  resolution. 

"  If  I  may  be  allowed  to  give  you  a  word 
of  advice,"  his  wife  urged,  "it  is  to  put  the 
letter  in  the  fire,  and  to  hush  up  the  whole 
matter.  In  two  days  she  will  be  gone,  and 
all  will  be  at  an  end.  Don't  mix  yourself  up 
in  it,  for  it  will  only  involve  you  in  untold 
embarrassments — and  think  of  the  poor 
Major." 

"  I  shall  do  as  I  said,  and  nothing  will 
shake  my  determination.  You  are  no  judge 
of  an  affair  like  this.  I  will  not  countenance 
i68 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

this  creature  in  carrying  on  her  intrigue  with 
that  cur  Kolberg  from  under  my  roof.  She 
ought  at  least  to  have  had  enough  sense  of 
decency  left  to  stop  her  game  while  she  was 
receiving  hospitaUty  in  a  respectable  house. 
Such  horiible,  scandalous  behaviour  is  unheard 
of!" 

Frau  Weil  gave  up  trying  to  prevail  with 
her  husband,  for  she  knew  his  temper  too 
well,  and  how  implacable  he  was  when  he 
had  made  up  his  mind  to  anything.  She 
knitted  her  brows  and  looked  thoughtfully 
into  the  fire,  which  glowed  red  in  the  stove 
and  cast   flickering  shadows   on  the   carpet. 

The  servant-girl  came  in  and  announced 
that  supper  was  ready. 

"  Tell  us,  Minna — where  did  you  find  the 
letter  ?  "  the  Lieutenant  asked  her. 

"  It  was  lying  in  the  corridor  near  the 
hat-stand.  It  must  have  fallen  out  of  someone's 
pocket." 

"  Very  well ;  you  can  go." 

The  couple  sat  down  to  the  table  in 
silence.  Weil  maintained  his  angry  expres- 
sion, and  his  wife,  with  lowered  eyelids,  did 
not  look  up  from  hei  plate  until  she  heard 
Frau  Kahle's  voice  in  the  corridor.  Then 
she  cast  an  anxious  glance  at  her  husband. 
169 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  She  is  coming,  Max.  And  please,  for 
Heaven's  sake,  don't  make  a  scene.  Think 
of  the   servants — they   can   hear   everything  !  " 

Weil  did  not  answer  or  look  towards  the 
door    as    their   guest    made   her   appearance. 

Her  face  was  flushed,  and  her  eyes  shone 
v^th  a  dev^  briUiance.  Her  fair  hair  was 
ruffled,  and  a  shell  hairpin  was  falling  out 
from  the  knot  at  the  back  of  her  head. 
Two  buttons  of  her  flimsy  summer  blouse 
were  unfastened,  showing  beneath  a  corner 
of  dainty  white  lace. 

"  Good  evening,  everybody,"  she  exclaimed 
in  a  Hvely  voice  as  she  entered  the  room. 
"  Excuse  my  being  so  late  ;  but  Frau  Klein 
persuaded  me  to  go  into  town  vnth  her. 
We  were  rather  late  back.  It  was  delight- 
ful 1  We  went  to  a  cafe  and  made  some 
purchases." 

Weil  rose  stiffly  and  confronted  his  guest. 

"  Gnadige  Frau,"  he  said  quietly,  "it  is 
quite  unnecessary  on  your  pait  to  seek  for 
reasons  to  explain  your  absence  this  evening. 
The  letter  which  came  for  you  this  afternoon, 
and  which  by  an  accident  has  fallen  into  our 
hands,  is  sufficient  proof  that  you  have 
abused  the  hospitality  accorded  to  you  in  a 
most  shameful  manner !  May  I  therefore 
170 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

ask  you  to  quit  my  house  as  soon  as 
possible,  in  fact  to-morrow  morning  at  latest  ? 
This  evening  you  will  kindly  leave  us  to 
ourselves." 

With  a  chilling  bow  he  returned  to  his 
seat  at  the  table. 

Frau  Kahle  stood  for  a  moment  as  if 
turned  to  stone  in  the  dimly-Hghted  part  of 
the  room ;  then  she  grasped  her  pocket 
spasmodically — her  hand  sought  something, 
but  in  vain,  and  the  Frau  Major  turned  to 
the  door  in  silence  and  walked  to  her  room, 
the  door  of  which  she  banged  furiously  behind 
her. 

After  supper  the  Lieutenant  went  to  his 
writing  table,  lit  his  lamp  with  the  green 
shade,  and  seated  himself  in  the  arm-chair. 
He  took  a  large  sheet  of  white  paper  from 
one  of  the  drawers,  dipped  his  pen  in  the 
ink,  and  then  laid  it  down  and  meditated. 
For  half  an  hour  he  lay  back  in  his  chair  con- 
templating the  sheet  of  white  paper.  Then 
he  seized   the   penholder   and   began   to   write. 

His  wife  sat  meanwhile  in  the  corner  of 
the  sofa  with  her  embroidery  and  a  very 
distressed  expression  on  her  face.  Now  and 
then  she  threw  a  glance  at  her  husband  as 
bis  pen  scratched  rapidly  over  the  paper. 
171 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

At  last  the  document  was  finished.  Weil 
once  more  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and 
looked  meditatively  before  him.  Then  he 
read  over  what  he  had  written,  folded  it  up 
and  enclosed  it  with  the  guilty  note  in  a 
yellow  envelope,  which  be  sealed.  After- 
wards he  shut  up  his  writing-materials  in  the 
drawer  again,  blew  out  the  lamp,  and  went 
to  sit  beside  his  wife  on  the  sofa,  where  he 
was  soon  deep  in  the  newspaper. 

Frau  Kahle  departed  by  the  first  train  the 
next  morning.  No  one  knew  her  destina- 
tion— ^not  even  the  orderly  who  canied  her 
box  to  the  station,  for  neither  in  writing 
nor  by  word  of  mouth  had  she  left  behind 
her  a  word  of  thanks  or  apology. 

At  noon  on  the  same  day  the  unsuspicious 
Lieutenant  Kolberg  was  summoned  before 
his  commanding  officer  and  informed  that 
proceedings  were  being  instituted  against 
him,  and  that  he  would  be  relieved  of  duty  till 
further  notice. 

The  excitement  produced  by  these  events 
among  the  officers  may  be  imagined.  Every 
one  of  them  felt  a  sort  of  malicious  satisfaction 
that  the  unpleasant  affair  had  come  out 
and  was  known  beyond  their  own  circle,  for 
not  one  of  them  was  particularly  partial  to 
172 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Kolberg,  who  had  been  secretive,  and  had 
withdrawn  himself  altogether  from  the  gaieties 
of  the  casino.  Much  less  was  there  any 
sympathy  for  the  coquettish  Frau  Kahle. 
Borgert  especially,  though  he  condemned 
Weil's  action  in  the  strongest  terms,  did  not 
refrain  from  criticising  severely  the  relations 
between  Kolberg  and  Frau  Kahle.  The  culprit 
was  spoken  of  by  his  brother  officers  in  language 
which  in  print  would  hardly  pass  master  in 
polite  circles,  and  it  was  unanimously  resolved 
to  ''  cut  "  the  "  blackguardly  deceiver  and  low 
hypocrite." 

Colonel  von  Kronau  was  in  a  great  fright 
on  the  morning  that  Captain  Stark  had 
appeared  with  the  warrant  from  the  Court  of 
Honour  and  Weil's  documents.  He  turned 
over  in  his  mind  what  was  to  be  done  to 
put  the  least  objectionable  face  on  the  affair. 
But  now  it  had  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
Court,  who  were  bound,  according  to  rule,  to 
examine  and  sift  the  facts.  So  there  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  confine  himself  to  cursing 
the  meddling  Lieutenant  Weil,  who  had  let 
him  in  for  the  detestable  business,  and  to 
register  a  vow  that  he  should  have  cause  to 
remember  it  when  the  time  came  for  writing 
his   conduct   report. 

173 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

The  Colonel  was  so  worried  that  in  imagina- 
tion he  pictured  himself  Hving  in  retirement 
on  his  estate,  superintending  the  unloading  of 
a    hay- waggon. 

Most  of  all  to  be  pitied  was  poor  Major 
Kahle.  He  had  at  last  gained  what  for  many 
years  he  had  worked  and  struggled  to  attain, 
and  now  with  one  blow  his  success  was  turned 
into  disgrace  through  the  conduct  of  his 
unprincipled   wife. 

He  had  no  idea  what  had  become  of  her, 
for  she  had  considered  it  advisable,  not  being 
sure  of  a  friendly  reception,  to  keep  out  of 
his  way.  She  had  sent  her  small  son  to  his 
grandparents,  and  in  lodgings  in  Berlin  was 
kiUing  time  with  writing  letters  full  of  re- 
proaches to  Kolberg,  and  in  gadding  about 
the  streets.  Kahle  was  firmly  resolved  to 
shut  the  door  in  his  unfaithful  wife's  face 
should  she  attempt  to  set  foot  in  his  house, 
and  was  meanwhile  making  his  application 
for  divorce. 

But  it  was  the  thought  of  the  inevitable 
duel  which  weighed  most  heavily  upon  him. 
Because  his  wife  had  deceived  him  in  the 
most  outrageous  manner,  he  was  bound  in 
honour  to  risk  being  shot  down  by  the  bullet 
of  her  seducer.  Rather  should  the  shameless 
174 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOW'7^ 

wretch  have  been  deprived  of  his  position 
as  ofi&cer  and  sent  to  some  gaol  to  reflect  on 
the  grossness  of  his  conduct. 

He  must  fight  to  clear  his  wife's  honour. 
How  absurd,  he  thought  to  himself.  Has 
a  woman  a  rag  of  reputation  left,  a  spark  of 
honour,  who  deUberately  deceives  her  husband 
for  the  sake  of  the  first  man  who  desires  her 
charms  ?  She  was  nothing  more  or  less  than 
an  ignoble  prostitute.  Yet  for  such  a  woman 
he  must  risk  his  Ufe  in  a  duel.  What  a 
ridiculous  farce !  He  began  to  wonder  if 
there  was  any  way  of  avoiding  the  contest. 
Not  out  of  cowardice  or  fear  of  death  did  he 
wish  to  avoid  it — ^he  was  no  coward — but  he 
could  not  see  why  the  fruits  of  his  strenuous 
efforts,  the  future  of  his  child,  and  his  own 
life  should  be  hazarded  because  another  man 
had  behaved  like  a  despicable  scoundrel.  It 
was  conceivable  that  he  might  be  killed  by 
his  adversary  in  the  encounter,  in  which  case 
an  innocent  man  would  suffer  death,  the 
heaviest  penalty  that  can  be  inflicted,  while 
the  criminal  would  get  off  scot-free,  and  let 
another  expiate  his  sin. 

Gradually  he  realized  that  there  was  no 
way  of  eluding  a  combat  with  deadly  weapons. 
175 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

If  he  declined  to  send  his  opponent  a  chal- 
lenge, a  court  martial  would  certainly  cashier 
him  from  the  army,  because  he  had  failed  to 
maintain  the  honour  of  his  position.  If  he 
took  part  in  a  duel  and  escaped  with  his  Hfe, 
he  would  be  punished  with  fortress-arrest. 
The  last  alternative  seemed  the  lesser  of 
two  evils.  As  he  was  forced  to  take  the 
measure,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  show  no 
consideration  for  the  man  who  had  destroyed 
his  peace  and  disgraced  his  house.  He  would 
challenge  the  scoundrel  to  a  duel,  to  be  fought 
under  the  severest  regulations,  and  either  kill 
him  or  compel  him  to  take  the  life  he  had 
already  ruined.  The  Court  of  Honour  were 
engaged  on  the  proceedings  for  several 
months.  Things  came  out  that  must  have 
been  both  interesting  and  instructive  to  the 
younger  officers  of  the  corps,  and  a  parti- 
cularly doubtful  light  was  thrown  on  Lieu- 
tenant Kolberg's  ideas  of  honour  and  friend- 
ship. 

The  behaviour  of  the  officers  before  the 
catastrophe  also  gave  food  for  reflection,  and 
must  have  seemed  rather  strange.  Since 
things  had  come  out  Kolberg  had  been  sent 
to  Coventry  by  his  brother  officers,  and  was 
176 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

only  seen  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  garrison 
on  horseback. 

But  one  day  Borgert  happened  to  find 
himself  in  financial  straits.  In  desperation 
at  every  other  source  failing  him,  he  made 
an  appUcation  to  Kolberg  for  a  loan.  The 
latter  was  weU  aware  of  Borgert 's  influence 
among  the  younger  officers,  and  did  not  fail 
to  take  advantage  of  this  opportunity  of 
winning  him  over.  He  eagerly  lent  the 
thousand  marks  required  by  Borgert,  raising 
the  money  on  security  of  his  own  thorough- 
bred. 

Borgert  was  not  slow  to  prove  his  gratitude. 
A  few  days  later  he  had  convinced  them  all 
at  mess  that  Kolberg  possessed  excellent 
qualities  as  a  comrade,  and  ridiculed  the 
present  development  of  the  situation  between 
him  and  his  superior  officers.  Thus  the 
young  Lieutenant,  suspended  though  he  was 
from  serving  in  the  army,  became  in  request 
again  both  as  guest  and  as  host.  When  he 
entertained  his  friends  he  boasted  over  the 
sparkling  champagne  of  the  forthcoming  duel, 
and  seemed  cock-sure  that  he  was  going  to 
run  Kahle  through. 

In  this  manner  he  grew  to  be  the  hero  of 
the  hour  and  famous  for  the  daring  gallantry 
177  N 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

which  had  won  a  "  lady  "  in  a  case  where  his 
brother  officers  would  have  had  to  be  content 
with  a  "  woman  of  the  town." 

But  on  the  day  Kahle's  challenge  arrived 
his  mood  was  a  little  more  modest. 

"  Distance,  fifteen  paces,  rifle  pistols  with 
sight  and  exchange  of  bullets  till  one  or  other 
of  the  combatants  is  disabled." 

He  had  not  anticipated  this,  and  the  con- 
ditions under  which  the  duel  was  to  be  fought 
were  anything  but  what  he  would  have 
chosen.  Kahle  was  known  to  be  a  dead 
shot,  and  his  reputation  as  a  great  sportsman 
even  outside  the  garrison  extended  far  and 
wide. 

So  Kolberg  took  expeditions  into  the  wood 
every  day  to  practise  shooting  in  order  to  be 
better  prepared  to  meet  his  opponent  on  the 
day  of  the  contest. 

As  he  discharged  one  bullet  after  the  other 
into  the  trunk  of  an  innocent  beech,  it  came 
into  his  mind  that  perhaps  he  would  not  hit 
the  Major,  because  he  had  deceived  and 
sinned  against  him.  It  was  the  last  flicker 
of  a  guilty  conscience  rapidly  becoming  dead 
to  all  sense  of  right  and  duty.  His  scruples 
were  soon  overcome  by  a  more  powerful 
sentiment — the  mad  clinging  to  life,  the  life 
178 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

which  the  more  he  contemplated  the  possi. 
bihty  of  losing  seemed  to  him  the  more  full 
of  attractions  ;  and  a  voice  within  him  cried, 
"  You  do  not  want  to  die,  you  want  to  Uve — 
live." 

And  so  the  best  way  out  of  it  was  to 
stretch  his  opponent  on  the  sand. 

It  was  not  till  four  months  had  passed 
away  that  the  Court  of  Honour  pronounced 
sentence.  Kolberg  was  dismissed  from  the 
service ;  but  when  this  verdict  was  sent  to 
be  ratified  by  His  Majesty  it  was  accom- 
panied by  a  recommendation  that  the  officer 
should  be  graciously  pardoned  and  reinstated. 
The  duel  was  accepted  in  principle,  but  not 
the  conditions  proposed  by  Kahle.  It  was 
probably  feared  that  a  bloody  issue  to  the 
affair  would  create  too  great  a  sensation. 
There  had  been  many  cases  of  late  in  which 
the  death  of  one  or  other  of  the  duellists 
had  had  very  serious  consequences  for  those 
superior  officers  who  had  not  interfered  to 
prevent  the  duel  or  to  soften  its  conditions. 
The  amended  challenge  therefore  was  as 
follows  : — 

Thirty-five  paces  distance,  a  single  exchange 
of  bullets  with  smooth  bore  pistols  and  with- 
out sights. 

179  N2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Kahle  was  thus  not  allowed  a  chance  of 
avenging  the  outrage  on  the  honour  of  his 
household,  because  the  gentlemen  in  autho- 
rity were  too  wary  and  careful  of  their  own 
skin  to  permit  his  obtaining  the  proper 
satisfaction. 

This  duel  was  simply  a  farce — 3.  fatal  issue 
could  only  be  the  result  of  an  accident. 
Borgert  accepted  with  delight  Kolberg's  in- 
vitation to  act  as  his  second.  He  did  not 
object  in  the  least  to  being  the  spectator  of  a 
dangerous  combat  which  involved  no  danger 
to  himself.  He  also  hoped  that  by  render- 
ing Kolberg  this  service  to  be  able  to  keep 
him  waiting  a  long  time  before  repaying 
the  thousand  marks.  All  Kolberg's  cronies 
assembled  at  his  table  for  a  carousal  on  the 
eve  of  his  departure  for  the  town  in  South 
Germany,  the  neighbourhood  of  which  was 
to  be  the  scene  of  the  duel.  Kolberg  was  so 
much  the  worse  for  drink  that  his  servant 
had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  getting  him  out 
of  bed  in  the  morning  in  time  to  catch  the 
train. 

It  was  the  same  with  Borgert,   who,  as  he 

stood  on  the  platform,  could  not  shake  off  the 

impression    that    the    occasion    was    a    festive 

one.       He  naturally,  under  the  circumstances, 

i8o 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

had  forgotten  to  supply  himself  with  money 
for  the  journey,  and  generously  accepted  the 
hundred  mark  note  which  Kolberg  pressed 
into  his  hand. 

Through  the  chill  air  of  early  morning  two 
carriages  drove  briskly  in  the  direction  of 
the  shooting-ground  of  Major  Kahle's  gar- 
rison. The  sun  was  rising  above  the  moun- 
tain-tops in  the  east,  and  its  first  rays 
lay  aslant  the  far-stretching  stubble  fields. 
Nature,  clothed  in  her  autumn  glory,  seemed 
profoundly  peaceful,  and  deep  silence  reigned 
in  the  forest,  broken  only  now  and  again  by 
the  falling  of  a  faded  leaf  as  it  whirled  softly 
through  the  dry  branches  to  find  its  grave  on 
the  ground. 

Borgert,  Kolberg  and  two  physicians  were 
seated  in  one  carriage ;  in  the  other  were 
Kahle,  his  second,  and  the  two  members  of 
the  Court  of  Honour  who  were  to  act  as 
neutral  witnesses  of  the  combat.  The  case 
of  pistols  was  under  the  back  seat. 

From  the  high  road  the  cairiages  turned 
into  a  lane  so  narrow  that  the  branches  of 
the  trees  on  either  side  constantly  swept 
against  the  windows.  They  drew  up  on  an 
open  space.  The  occupants  of  the  caniages 
got  out  and  the  coachmen  received  orders  to 
i8i 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

drive  back  and  wait  at  the  entrance  to  the 
forest. 

The  Httle  party  then  walked  for  about  five 
minutes  down  a  small  pathway  and  collected 
near  the  shooting  butt,  which  was  situated 
farther  in  the  forest.  The  case  of  pistols 
was  laid  on  a  mound,  and  the  seconds  took 
out  and  loaded  the  weapons  and  then  tested 
them. 

The  doctors  spread  out  their  instruments, 
and  unwound  yards  of  bandages,  while  the 
neutral  spectators  measured  the  distance  in 
strides,  sticking  their  swords  in  the  sHghtly 
frozen  ground  to  mark  the  spot  where  the 
combatants  were  to  stand.  According  to 
usage,  an  effort  was  made  to  reconcile  the 
duellists  at  the  last  moment,  which,  of  course, 
failed,  and  they  took  up  their  position 
opposite  each  other  by  the  swords. 

Kahle  looked  pale  and  worn,  as  if  he  had 
not  slept  all  night.  He  shivered  with  cold, 
and  his  nervously  twitching  features  betrayed 
violent  emotion. 

Kolberg,  on  the  contrary,  appeared  to  be 
at  his  ease,  and  almost  smiling.  He  threw 
away  the  stump  of  the  cigarette  he  had  been 
smoking,  with  a  careless  gesture. 

One  of  the  bystanders  then  briefly  stated 
182 


LIFE   IN   A  GARRISON  TOWN 

the  order  of  combat,  saying  that  the  shots 
must  be  fired  between  "  one  "  and  ''  three.'* 

After  a  pause  came  the  exclamation, 
"  Ready  !  " 

Both  combatants  held  their  pistols  pointing 
towards  the  ground,  to  raise  them  and  take 
aim  at  "  one."  Simultaneously  with  "  two  " 
Kahle's  shot  was  fired,  and  the  bullet  pierced 
with  a  clattering  sound  the  bark  of  a  beech- 
tree,  bringing  down  a  withered  branch.  His 
hand  had  trembled  and  been  so  unsteady 
that  he  had  shot  quite  a  yard  over  Kolberg's 
head.  The  latter  stood  firm  and  immov- 
able, not  taking  aim  till  the  last  moment. 
The  trigger  of  his  pistol  clicked  at  "  three." 

Kahle  looked  unflinchingly  at  the  little 
black  mouth  of  his  opponent's  pistol,  but 
after  the  report  his  eyes  opened  wide,  and 
he  staggered  and  fell  to  the  earth.  Kolberg 
felt  a  cold  shudder  creep  down  his  spine  at 
the  sight  of  this  great,  strong  man  faUing 
backwards.  For  an  instant  he  stood  as  if 
stunned,  and  the  weapon  dropped  from  his 
hand. 

The  others  at  once  hurried  to  the  Major's 
side,  and  the  doctors  ripped  open  his  coat. 

A  stream  of  blood  trickled  from  a  small 
wound  in  the  middle  of  his  chest, 

183 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Kahle  only  lost  consciousness  for  a  minute. 
He  lay  there  now  very  pale,  with  his  eyes 
fixed  steadily  on  those  gathered  round  him. 
Kolberg  came  forward,  stretching  out  his 
hand  to  the  Major,  but  he  reeled  back  as  if 
he  had  been  struck  when  he  met  the  cold 
disdainful  look  of  refusal  in  the  Major's 
glazing  eyes.  He  stood  by  his  victim  for  a 
moment,  then  turned  on  his  heel  and  walked 
away  into  the  forest. 

The  Major's  wound  was  pronounced  not 
dangerous,  but  the  bullet  had  slightly  injured 
one  of  his  lungs,  and  it  would  be  a  long  time 
before  it  healed. 

A  carriage  was  fetched,  and  the  Major 
gently  Hfted  into  it.  The  doctors  got  in  too. 
Kahle's  second  climbed  to  the  box  beside  the 
coachman,  and  they  drove  slowly  back  to  the 
town  to  get  the  injured  man  into  the  hospital 
without   delay. 

Kolberg's  depressed  spirits  were  not  of 
long  duration.  When  he  and  Borgert  at 
the  entrance  of  the  town  parted  from  the 
other  occupants  of  their  carriage,  his  com- 
panion slapped  him  on  the  shoulder  and 
exclaimed  cheerily  : 

"  Come,  now,  don't  pull  such  a  long  face, 
old  man.  Congratulate  yourself  that  you 
184 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

have  escaped  with  a  whole  skin.  You  can't 
help  having  hit  the  poor  devil  in  the  chest. 
It  was  he  challenged  you,  not  you  him.  I 
vote  that  we  have  breakfast  now.  I  am  not 
accustomed  to  rambling  about  a  forest  so 
early  in  the  morning,  and  my  stomach  cries 
out." 

"  I  am  sorry  that  I  hit  the  poor  Major ;  I 
wish  I  had  not  done  it,"  Kolberg  answered  in 
a  serious  voice.  "  Devil  take  the  women ! 
They  are  at  the  bottom  of  everything.  Why 
did  I  have  anything  to  do  with  this  Kahle 
woman  ?  " 

"  You  needn't  worry  about  that.  The 
Major  is  alone  to  blame.  He  should  have 
looked  after  his  gay  and  pretty  wife  better, 
and  then  she  wouldn't  have  become  no 
better  than  she  ought  to  be.  To-day  she 
takes  up  with  one,  to-morrow  with  another, 
so  it's  no  crime  on  your  part  to  have  amused 
yourself  a  Uttle  at  her  expense.  We  must 
treat  women  according  to  their  merits." 

The  voluble  Borgert  thus  succeeded  by 
degrees  in  cheering  up  Kolberg,  who,  in  his 
heart,  agreed  with  what  he  said,  and  felt  no 
disgust  at  the  vile  heart lessness  of  the  other's 
brutal  words,  for  they  were  birds  of  a 
feather. 

185 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

They  changed  into  plain  dress  at  their  hotel, 
and  went  to  breakfast  in  a  restaurant,  where 
the  waiters,  only  half  awake,  were  dusting 
the  chairs,  and  stared  in  astonishment  at  the 
early  risers.  Beginning  the  day  with  cognac 
the  pair  ended  it  at  night  with  champagne  in 
a  cafe  of  ill-fame.  Anyone  who  saw  these 
Heutenants  in  mufti,  chaffing  the  brazen 
waitresses,  could  easily  believe  that  the  -grave 
events  of  the  morning  had  ceased  to  weigh 
upon  their  spirits,  and  that  they  had  com- 
pletely regained  the  ordinary  composure  of  an 
untroubled  conscience. 

On  their  return  to  the  garrison  the  next 
day  the  two  heroes  of  the  duel  received  a 
tremendous  ovation.  A  number  of  officers 
met  them  at  the  station  and  accompanied 
Kolberg  to  his  house,  where  in  honour  of 
his  success  they  indulged  freely  in  drink. 
The  other  officers,  especially  the  elder  ones, 
held  that  Kolberg  showed  very  bad  taste  in 
entertaining  a  party  directly  he  came  back, 
instead  of  wishing  to  be  alone  to  meditate 
on  the  sad  outcome  of  his  dastardly  conduct. 

Two     days    later    the    ratification     of    the 

verdict     came     from     Berlin.      Though     Kol- 

berg's    rehabilitation    was    sanctioned,    he    was 

ordered    at    once    to    another    garrison,    as    he 

i86 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

could  scaicely  remain  on  the  scene  of  his 
former  exploits  any  longer.  However,  before 
starting  for  the  beautiful  town  on  the  Rhine 
where  he  was  to  be  stationed  for  the  future, 
he  was  obliged  to  bend  his  steps  in  the 
direction  of  a  fortress,  in  which  he  was  to 
reside  for  a  month  or  two  as  punishment  for 
having  taken  part  in  a  duel  with  "  weapons 
that  were  dangerous  to  hfe."  The  Major's 
recovery  was  very  slow.  The  two  army 
surgeons  had  decided  to  extract  the  bullet, 
which  was  lodged  near  the  vertebrate  column, 
but  the  operation  had  been  not  altogether 
successful.  Though  the  bullet  had  been 
removed,  acute  inflammation  had  set  up  in 
the  wound,  which  caused  intense  pain  and 
a  persistent  high  temperature.  At  the  end 
of  the  winter,  when  the  Major  came  out  of 
hospital,  he  was  a  complete  wreck,  both 
mentally  and  physically,  and  forced  to  resign 
his  commission,  being  incapable  any  longer 
of  bearing  the  fatigue  of  military  service. 

He,  too,  was  sentenced  to  three  months' 
detention  in  a  fortress,  but  after  two  days  he 
was  released,  the  exigencies  of  the  law  being 
satisfied. 

So  Kahle  in  the  prime  of  his  manhood 
saw     his     woildly     prospects     blasted.       He 

187 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

could  never  be  much  better  than  an  invalid 
and  must  look  for  employment  in  some  other 
calling  of  Hfe,  for  his  scanty  pension  was  not 
enough  for  himself  and  his  son  to  Uve  on 
comfortably.  The  piivate  fortune  his  wife 
had  brought  him  on  their  marriage  reverted 
to  her  after  the  divorce. 

And  why  had  all  this  happened  ?  Because 
custom  had  compelled  him  to  vindicate  his 
wife's  honour.  For  her  sake  he  had  sacri- 
ficed himself.  The  Major  only  realised  how 
worthy  she  was  of  such  a  sacrifice  when  he 
heard  that  his  divorced  wife  was  "  keeping 
house  "  for  a  young  baron  in  Berlin. 

Kolberg  meanwhile  managed  to  enjoy  life 
to  the  full  on  the  banks  of  the  beautiful 
Rhine. 


l88 


Chapter  V 


IN  his  sumptuous  quarters  Lieutenant 
Borgert  sat  at  his  writing-table. 
Before  him  lay  a  sheet  of  paper 
covered  with  figures,  and  around  him 
was  quite  a  moimtain  of  papers,  bills  and 
coloured    envelopes. 

He  seized  one  account  after  the  other, 
noting  down  the  figures  he  found  thereon 
on  the  sheet  before  him,  and  had  already 
begun  the  third  row,  when,  suddenly  stopping, 
he  threw  the  pencil  on  the  table.  He  crushed 
the  papers  together  as  if  they  were  a  pack  of 
rubbish,  threw  them  into  the  fire,  when  they 
at  once  began  to  flare  up,  and  a  few  minutes 
later  lay  crackling  in  their  ashes. 

He  had  had  the  praiseworthy  resolution 
for  once,  far  from  his  usual  custom  of  simply 
throwing  all  his  bills  unopened  in  the  fire, 
to  add  them  up,  in  order  to  gain  something 
like  an  idea  of  the  amount  and  size  of  his 
debts. 

But   it   was  not  possible  to  make  his   way 
through     the     endless     heap     of     angry     and 
threatening    letters,    writs    and    demands    for 
189 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

payment.  But  at  any  rate  it  had  become 
evident  to  him  that  it  was  out  of  the  question 
to  think  of  meeting  his  debts,  because  the 
amount  considerably  exceeded  even  what  he 
had  supposed.  He  had  already  reckoned 
up  eleven  thousand  marks,  and  in  addition 
to  this  there  was  the  heap  of  bills  which  he 
had  just  consigned  to  the  flames. 

But  the  seven  hundred  marks  which  he 
still  owed  to  Captain  Konig  pressed  the  most 
heavily  upon  him  ;  other  sums  also  troubled 
him  much,  for  they  were  debts  of  honour, 
and  the  first  for  2,300  marks  would  be  due  in 
six  weeks.  How  could  he  meet  it  without 
theft? 

He  began  to  deliberate.  He  had  already 
given  a  bill  of  sale  over  his  furniture  ;  one  of 
his  horses  was  pledged  twice  over,  and  for 
the  other,  his  old  charger,  he  would  scarcely 
get  three  hundred  marks,  and  that  would 
be  only  a  diop  in  the  ocean.  He  had  no 
longer  a  single  friend  from  whom  he  could 
successfully  attempt  to  borrow,  except 
possibly  Konig.  But  how  could  he  again 
approach  the  latter  with  such  a  request  ? 
He  could  not  well  do  that  before  at  least 
refunding  him  his  seven  hundred  marks.  The 
only  hope  was  to  try  to  get  a  loan  from  the 
190 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

money-lender  in  Berlin,  but  the  fellow  had 
not  answered  his  letter,  although  he  had 
already  been  in  possession  of  Lieutenant 
Leimann's  surety  for  three  weeks,  and  an 
insurance  poUcy  for  over  20,000  marks. 

For  the  present  that  could  not  help  him. 
He  wanted  to  try  and  quiet  his  more  pressing 
creditors,  and  only,  if  possible,  to  pay  some- 
thing on  account  of  those  debts  for  which  he 
could  be  summoned  or  brought  before  his 
Colonel.  Perhaps  the  future  would  bring 
something — a  lucky  game  of  cards,  a  big 
prize  in  the  lottery,  or  perhaps  even  a  rich 
bride. 

These  hopes  again  put  him  in  a  good 
humour ;  he  lit  a  cigarette  and  whistled  to 
himself  as  he  walked  up  and  down  over  the 
thick  carpet. 

A  sound  in  the  corridor  drew  his  attention. 
He  heard  a  voice  whispering  and  steps  on 
the  hall-carpet,  then  somebody  knocked  softly 
at  the  door. 

It  must  be  Frau  Leimann,  he  said  to  him- 
self, for  she  often  came  at  tea-time  to  her 
lover  while  her  husband  went  out  for  his 
evening  drink. 

In  answer  to  his  **  Come  in,"  a  poorly- 
dressed  woman  with  a  basket  on  her  arm 
191 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

crossed  the  threshold.  Upon  her  youthful 
face  care  and  sorrow  had  stamped  premature 
lines,  and  she  looked  with  frightened  eyes  at 
the  Lieutenant,  who  remained  standing  in  the 
room  and  was  looking  at  her  with  undisguised 
displeasure. 

*'  What  are  you  doing  here  again,  Frau 
Meyer  ?  "  Borgert  blustered.  "  I  have  told 
you  that  I  shall  give  you  no  more  washing 
to  do." 

"  Excuse  me,  sir,  I  only  wanted  to  know 
if  you  can  pay  me  the  forty  marks  to-day,  or 
at  least  some  of  it.  I  must  have  money,  my 
husband  has  been  ill  in  bed  these  three  weeks 
and  cannot  go  to  work." 

"  Your  eternal  dunning !  "  he  roughly 
answered.  "  Come  again  this  evening  ;  I  must 
get  change,  and  have  no  time  now." 

"  But  keep  your  word  this  time,  sir ;  you 
have  so  often  promised  me  the  money." 

Saying  this  she  quietly  opened  the  door 
and  went  out.  Borgert,  however,  flung  open 
the  window  to  let  in  the  fresh  autumn  air. 
The  atmosphere  of  the  poor  was  unbearable 
to  him, ;  it  was  always  musty  and  unpleasant, 
Hke  mildew.  He  took  a  bottle  of  perfume 
from  the  carved  cupboard  and  sprinkled  its 
contents  on  the  Persian  carpet  and  on  the 
192 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

cushions    of    the    chairs.      Then    he    rang    for 
his  man. 

He  came  immediately.  It  was  Private 
Rose,  whom  the  Captain  would  no  longer 
have  in  the  ranks  because  he  was  so  unreli- 
able, and  owing  to  his  deficient  sense  of  duty 
injured  the  discipHne  of  the  squadron. 

"  What  have  I  ordered  you  to  do,  you 
swine  ?  "  the  Lieutenant  roared  at  him. 

"  That  I  should  let  no  one  in  unannounced," 
he  answered  timidly ;  "  but  the  woman  pushed 
by  me,  and  I  could  not  prevent  her  entering." 

"  Take  your  carcass  away,  you  lazy  brute, 
you  !  Let  nobody  in  before  asking  me  first. 
If  you  do  I'll  give  you  a  good  thrashing,  you 
swine,  you  !  " 

Then  he  struck  Rose  in  the  face  with  both 
hands,  opened  the  door,  and  kicked  him  out. 

"  If  that  woman  comes  again  this  evening, 
tell  her  I  have  gone  out !  "  he  called  after 
him. 

Borgert  had  just  settled  down,  newspaper 
in  hand,  by  the  window  as  the  hall  bell  again 
rang.  It  was  a  short,  energetic  ring.  The 
man  came  in,  his  face  swollen  with  tears, 
and  announced  : 

"  A  man  wants  to  speak  to  you  on  important 
business." 

193  o 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  What  is  his  name  ?  You  should  always 
ask  the  name." 

The  man  went  out,  but  returned  very  soon. 

'*  He  will  not  give  his  name,  but  he  says 
he  absolutely  must  speak  with  you,  sir." 

"  Let  him  come  in." 

A  moment  later  a  man  entered  with  a  leather 
bag  under  his  arm,  and  introduced  himself  as 
Krause,  the  Court  bailiff. 

"  Excuse  me,  sir,  if  I  disturb  you.  I  have 
a  summons  for  you.     Thank  you  !  " 

Upon  which  he  took  a  thick  envelope  from 
his  bag  and  handed  it  to  Borgert,  who,  however, 
without  losing  his  self-command,  answered 
pleasantly  : 

"  Oh,  I  know  what  it  is  !  In  any  case  I 
paid  it  only  yesterday.  It  is  only  a  small 
sum  which  I  owe  to  my  tailor." 

"  As  far  as  my  knowledge  goes  it  is  a 
question  of  a  summons  on  a  bill  of  exchange 
from  Frohhch  &  Co.,  and  the  amount  is  four 
thousand  marks  for  furniture  delivered." 

"  Oh,  that  is  the  thing !  The  good  man 
could  have  spared  himself  the  trouble.  The 
amount  was  sent  by  my  bankers  the  day 
before  yesterday." 

"  So  much  the  better,"  laughed  the  official. 
"  I  have  the  honour  to  wish  you  good  day !  " 
194 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Good  day,  Heir  Krause ;  I  should  say 
come  again  if  your  visits  were  not  such  a 
doubtful  pleasure/' 

As  soon  as  the  man  was  outside,  Borgert 
tore  open  the  envelope  and  glanced  through 
the  contents  of  the  document. 

Matters  were  now  desperate.  The  fur- 
niture was  not  yet  paid  for  and  already 
pledged,  although  in  the  contract  of  sale  it 
was  definitely  stated  that  the  goods  remained 
the  property  of  the  vendor  till  entirely  paid 
for. 

Four  thousand  marks !  What  a  heap  of 
money !  He  must  speak  with  Leimann ; 
perhaps  something  could  yet  be  done. 

Suddenly  it  occurred  to  him  that  the 
process-server  had  not  yet  left  the  premises. 
So  he  called  his  servant  and  asked  : 

"  Where  has  the  man  gone  ?  *' 

"  Upstairs,  Herr  Lieutenant." 

Whatever  could  he  have  to  do  there  ? 
Could  Liemann  be  in  the  same  hole  as  he  ? 
That  would  be  a  dreadful  thing,  for  Liemann 
had  always  been  a  kind  of  support,  either 
by  being  security  for  promised  payment  or 
helping  to  qufet  the  creditors. 

In  the  meantime  Herr  Krause  had  served 
a  summons  from  Weinstein  &  G).  on  Frau 
195  o  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Leimann    for  four  hundred  marks   which  she 
owed  that  firm  for  a  silk  dress. 

She  was  desperate  and  began  pacing  up  and 
down  the  room  like  a  mad  thing.  What  was 
to  be  done  ?  Where  get  the  money  ?  She 
would  beg  Borgert  to  give  her  the  amount. 
But  what  would  he  think  of  her  ?  Would  he 
not  lose  all  respect  for  her  ? 

For  a  moment  she  stood  irresolute  in  the 
room,  pressing  both  hands  to  her  beating  heart. 
Then  she  resolutely  went  to  the  door  and 
hurried  down  the  back  stairs. 

She  found  Borgert  in  his  chair  brooding  ; 
he  did  not  even  rise  as  she  entered  but 
greeted  her  with  a  wave  of  his  hand.  She 
came  up  to  him  and  kissed  him  tenderly  on 
his  forehead,  then  sat  down  on  his  knee, 
while  he,  placing  his  arm  round  her  slender 
waist,  looked  questioningly  in  her  face. 

"  What  strange  visitor  have  you  just 
received  ?  "  he  asked,  half  jokingly,  after  a 
short  pause. 

"  I — a  visitor  ?  "  answered  Frau  Leimann 
in  some  confusion.  ''  I  have  received  nobody." 
Her  eyes  continually  wandered  round  the 
room. 

"  You  have  received  nobody  ?  Oh,  you  little 
story-teller  !  " 

196 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Whatever  are  you  thinking  about,  George  ? 
Who  should  visit  me  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  only  thought  of  a  certain  Herr 
Krause." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?  "  she  asked, 
startled. 

"  I  know  all,  my  child,  even  that  the 
bailiff  has  just  been  with  you." 

Frau  Leimann  looked  down  in  confusion 
and  plucked  at  her  apron. 

"  Well,  if  you  already  know,  there  is  no 
necessity  for  me  to  tell  you.  Yes,  he  came 
to  see  me." 

"What    did    he    want?" 

"  They  have  summoned  me  for  a  paltry 
four  hundred  marks,"  the  woman  sobbed. 
"  I  am  lost  if  my  husband  hears  of  it !  ' 

"  But  he  must  pay  for  what  he  has  bought 
you." 

"  He  doesn't  know  about  it.  I  wanted  to 
have  the  dress,  the  red  silk  one,  you  know  ? 
I  told  him  at  the  time  my  mother  had  sent  it 
or  he  would  not  have  allowed  me  to  have  it ; 
but  I  wanted  to  have  it,  so  I  had  it  put 
down   to    my   account." 

**  That  was  very  silly,  my  dear  !  How  will 
you  get  the  money  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  !     Can't   you  help  me  ?  " 
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LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  I  will  go  to  the  people  and  ask  them  to 
wait  a  bit." 

"  That  would  be  of  no  use,  George — I  must 
have  ready  money ;  at  least  a  thousand 
marks,  for  I  have  other  things  to  pay  for : 
the  dressmaker,  the  hairdressers,  and  others. 
Get  the  money  for  me,  George ;  show  me 
now  that  you  love  me  as  you  have  always 
said." 

"  I  ?  "  laughed  Borgert  cynically.  "  My  God, 
I  don't  know  myself  what  to  do." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  Are  you  also  in 
debt  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  you  would  Uke  to  look  into  the 
accounts  on  the  writing-table.  Such  things 
I  receive  every  day." 

Frau  Leimann  went  to  the  writing-table, 
opened  the  papers  and  looked  with  wide-open 
eyes  at  the  figures. 

"  In  Heaven's  name,  George !  What  will 
become  of  me  ?  You  were  my  only  hope, 
now  I  am  lost." 

She  sank  on  the  sofa,  and,  covering  her 
face   with   her  hands,   sobbed. 

'*  Don't    be    so    frightened,    you    timid    little 

hare ;     you    will   not    die   for   a   few   hundred 

marks,"    said    Borgert,    trying   to   comfort   her 

and    tenderly    stroking   her    blonde    hair.      "  I 

198 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

will  see  what  I  can  do,  and  in  a  week  you 
shall    have    the    thousand    marks." 

Instead  of  answering  she  flung  her  arms 
round  Borgert's  neck  and  kissed  him 
passionately. 

"  I  knew  it,"  she  then  said — "  I  knew  you 
would  not  leave  me  in  the  lurch,  dear  one, 
good  old  fellow  !  " — and  she  drew  the  Lieu- 
tenant down  on  the  sofa  near  her. 

*  *  4: 

When  Leimann  returned  after  having 
finished  his  evening  drink  he  found  all  the 
rooms  dark  and   empty. 

To  his  question  as  to  where  his  wife  was, 
the    servant    answered : 

"  My  mistress  has  gone  out." 

"  Where  ?  " 

"  I   don't   know,   sir." 

He  then  lighted  a  lamp  and  went  to  the 
letter-box  to  see  if  anything  had  come  by 
the  evening  post.  He  found  two  letters 
— bills — amounting  together  to  over  six 
hundred  marks. 

He  muttered  a  Uttle  to  himself  and  then 
locked  the  two  bothering  objects  in  his  desk. 
But  a  large  yellow  envelope  caught  his  eye. 
He  took  it  for  a  letter  of  instructions  and 
began  to  open  it  mechanically.  But  it  was 
199 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

already  opened,  and  his  curiosity  increased  as 
he  drew  out  three  large  sheets  of  paper. 

With  strained  eyes  he  read  through  the 
type-written  letters,  then  he  sat  down  to  the 
table  and  read  the  document  from  beginning 
to  end. 

His  wife  as  well  ?  That  was  indeed  a 
delightful  surprise  !  If  that  was  the  case 
with  her  own  cash  then  there  was  nothing  to 
expect  from  his  mother-in-law,  and  he  had 
always  reckoned  upon  her.  He  threw  the 
summons  furiously  in  a  corner  and  went  up 
and   down   the   room   deliberating. 

His  wife  must  have  heard  the  footsteps  of 
her  husband  overhead,  for  she  entered  the 
room,  cheeks  burning. 

"  Excuse  me,  Max,"  said  she  breathlessly. 
"  I  had  something  important  to  do  at  the 
dressmaker's.  I  have  run  very  fast ;  I  saw 
you  in  front,   but  could  not  catch  you  up." 

"  What  were  you  again  doing  at  the  dress- 
maker's ?  "  he  cried. 

"  Why  should  I  go  there  except  to  have  a 
dress  made  ?  She  is  making  me  a  riding- 
habit." 

"  First  pay  for  your  old  stuff  and  then  have 
new  finery  made  !  "  thundered  her  husband. 

"  What    do    you    mean    by    such    a    tone  ? 

200 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

And  who  told  you  that  I  don't  pay  my  bills  ? 
You  think  perhaps  that  others  are  as  thought- 
less as  you  are." 

"  If  you  don't  want  me  to  know  what  the 
bailiff  brings  for  you  why  do  you  stick  it 
under  my  nose  ?  " 

At  first  Frau  Leimann  did  not  grasp  what 
he  meant  by  this,  then  it  flashed  across  her 
mind  that  she  had  left  the  summons  lying  on 
her  husband's  desk. 

"  I  positively  forbid  you  to  poke  your  nose 
into  my  affairs,"  continued  she  indignantly. 
"  Even  if  the  letter  did  he  open  on  your  desk, 
you  had  no  right  to  read  it.  I  don't  open 
your  bills." 

"  Do  what  you  Hke,  but  I  forbid  your 
dragging  the  baihff  into  this  house." 

"  There's  no  harm  in  that,  my  dear,  for  it 
will  show  him  the  way  when  he  next  comes 
to  you." 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  you  shameless  baggage. 
or  I  will  turn  you  out  of  doors  !  " 

"  Many  thanks  for  your  kind  offer,  but  I 
am  just  going  out  of  my  own  accord." 

She  went  out  and  into  her  bedroom  and 
went  to  bed.  But  she  was  not  at  all  tired, 
and  so  took  a  book  which  was  lying  on  her 
table  and  began  to  read.     In  the  room  below 

201 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

her  lay  Borgert  in  bed,  and  he  was  also 
reading.  But  his  thoughts  were  not  upon 
the  book.  The  fact  that  he  was  hemmed  in 
on  all  sides  gave  him  no  rest.  If  much 
more  happened  the  Colonel  would  order  an 
immediate  payment  of  all  debts,  and  if  that 
were  impossible  would  compel  him  to  send  in 
his  papers.  That  would  be  a  fearful  thing, 
for  what  could  he  do  without  a  penny,  no 
knowledge,  and  many  requirements  ?  Ener- 
getic steps  must  be  taken  at  once,  and  he 
determined  to  make  use  of  the  next  day,  a 
Sunday,  again  to  do  all  possible  to  raise  a 
large  loan. 

Comforted  in  the  hope  that  some  friendly 
hand  would  do  him  a  good  turn,  he  fell 
asleep,  the  book  falling  from  his  grasp,  and 
the  lamp  on  the  table  going  out  of  itself 
after  midnight,  for  Borgert  had  forgotten  to 
extinguish   it. 

When  he  awoke  the  next  morning  it  was 
past  ten  o'clock. 

He  was  furious.  Half  a  day  was  lost,  and 
he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  do  so  much ! 
Why  had  that  ass  of  a  fellow  not  called  him  ? 
His  head  ached,  and  he  felt  jaded  and  ex- 
hausted. Hurrying  on  a  few  clothes,  he 
went    to    his    man's    room    and    found    Rose 

202 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

writing    a    letter.      He    rose,    startled,    as    his 
master  entered. 

"  Why  didn't  you  wake  me  up,  you  beast  ?  '* 
thundered  he  to  the  f lightened  fellow. 

*'  I  woke  you  at  seven  o'clock,  sir,  but  you 
wanted  to  go  to  sleep,  and  said  I  needn't 
come  again." 

"  You  aie  lying,  you  Iiog,  you  !  I  will 
teach  you  to  do  what  I  tell  you."  Upon 
which  he  seized  the  sheath  of  a  sabre  lying 
on  the  bed  and  struck  the  fellow  violently. 

Rose  stood  to  attention  and  submitted 
to  the  ill-tieatment  without  a  wink.  That 
angered  Borgeit  the  more,  and  so  he  stiuck 
him  again  on  his  chest  with  his  fist.  Then 
he  took  the  letter  Rose  had  been  writing, 
crumpled  it,  and  threw  it  into  the  coal-scuttle. 

"Go  to  Lieutenant  Leimann  and  tell  him 
I  beg  him  to  come  to  me  in  half  an  hour." 

"  At  your  service,  sir." 

Borgert  returned  to  his  bedroom,  dressed 
himself,  and  then  went  into  the  next  room. 

But  there  stood  the  coffee,  already  quite 
cold.  So  Rose  had  been  in  the  room  before. 
But  a  little  thrashing  would  do  no  harm.  It 
kept  up  discipline  and  respect,  even  if  given 
for  once  at  the  wrong  time.  Should  he  ask 
Rose's  pardon  ?  He  would  see  him  further. 
203 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

On  the  writing-table  lay  several  letters. 
There  were  three  bills  and  a  letter  from  his 
father. 

He  opened  it  and  read  : 

"  My  dear  Son, — I  have  learned  with 
sorrow  by  your  last  letter  that  you  have  again 
incurred  large  debts  which  have  placed  you 
in  difficulties  because  they  had  escaped  your 
notice.  Willingly  as  I  would  have  sent  you 
the  money  you  ask  for,  I  cannot  do  so, 
because  you  know  how  I  must  consider 
every  penny.  If  75  marks  can  help  you 
they  are  at  your  disposal,  although  I  had 
promised  this  money  to  your  mother  for  a 
new  dress  which  she  has  needed  a  long  time. 
But  I  must  tell  you  plainly  that  I  cannot 
understand  why  with  two  hundred  marks 
besides  your  pay  you  cannot  make  both  ends 
meet.  At  your  age  I  had  no  more,  and  yet 
saved  enough  to  take  an  enjoyable  hoHday 
every  year.  I  advise  you,  with  the  best 
intentions  on  my  part,  to  withdraw  somewhat 
from  the  society  of  your  companions,  that 
your  expenditure  may  be  less,  to  occupy  your- 
self industriously  at  home,  and  avoid  every 
occasion  which  requires  you  to  spend  money 
which  you  cannot  afford.  If  you  explain 
204 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

frankly  that  this  or  that  is  too  expensive, 
everybody  will  respect  you  more  if  they  see 
that  you  Uve  according  to  your  means  and 
not  recklessly.  To  Hve  respectably  means 
to  live  within  your  income. 

"  Let  me  know  soon  how  you  have  settled 
the  affair,  and  if  I  am  to  send  you  the  sum  I 
have  offered.  Hoping  that  no  unpleasantness 
will   arise,    I   am, 

"  Your  Old  Father." 

When  Borgert  had  read  these  Hues  he 
crushed  the  paper  together  and  threw  it  with 
the  other  three  unopened  letters  into  the 
fire.  Then,  with  a  deep  sigh,  he  fell  into  a 
chair  and  looked  thoughtfully  before  him. 
Then  his  man  entered  and  announced 
Leimann. 

Borgert  got  up  to  meet  his  friend,  who,  when 
he  had   entered  the  room,   said  excitedly: 

"  What  have  you  so  important  to  say  so 
early  in  the  morning  ?  " 

Borgert  stood  with  his  legs  apart,  and  said, 
with  feigned  hilarity: 

"  My  dear  fellow,  everybody  has  his 
troubles.  I  am  pretty  well  at  the  last  gasp, 
and  should  Uke  to  name  you  my  trustee  in 
bankruptcy." 

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LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  At  your  last  gasp  ?  What  do  you  mean  by 
it  ?     Is  it  a  matter  of  money  ?  " 

"  You  have  guessed  right.  I  must  have 
money  at  once,  a  whole  sackful,  or  I  am  done 
for." 

"  Are  things  so  bad  all  of  a  sudden  ?  Is 
there  anything  new  ?  You  told  me  last  time 
that  for  the  present  you  were  all  right." 

"  Of  course  I  said  so,  but  yesterday  I 
counted  up  and  found  that  there  was  no 
other  way  except  to  negotiate  a  large  loan. 
I  should  like  to  speak  to  you  about  it,  for  I 
hope  that  ways  and  means  will  be  found  to 
keep  my  head  above  water." 

Leimann  looked  thoughtfully  down  and 
rubbed  his  unshaven  chin,  then,  shrugging  his 
shoulders,   said  : 

"  How  much  is  it  then  ?  " 

"  Twelve  thousand  marks,  not  a  penny 
less,  for  I  must  have  a  clear  start.  I  am 
sick  of  these  eternal  summonses  and  threaten- 
ing letters." 

"  And  how  have  you  thought  of  arranging 
matters  ?  " 

"  I  have  the  addresses  of  some  moneylenders. 
If  you  would  again  back  some  bills  for  me  I 
hope  we  can  manage  things." 

*'  Back  bills !  Come,  come,  my  dear 
206 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

fellow,  there  must  be  an  end  to  what  one  can 
do.  I  tell  you  plainly,  if  you  cannot  pay  me 
the  three  thousand  marks  from  last  month, 
there  is  an  end  to  my  security." 

*'  That  needs  no  explanation ;  it  is  abso- 
lutely a  matter  of  necessity  that  I  should  meet 
my  obligations." 

"  I  don't  doubt  it ;  but  indeed  I  cannot  be 
security  for  you  any  more — indeed  I  wanted 
to  ask  you  to  do  the  same  service  for  me ;  I 
must  also  have  money." 

"  I  am  quite  willing ;  but  why  don't  you 
raise  money  on  your  wife's  dowry  ?  That  is 
the  surest  way." 

"  First  I  must  possess  it  to  raise  money  on 
it." 

"  But  on  what  did  you  marry  ?  "  asked 
Borgert,  astonished. 

"  I  only  had  some  money  for  four  weeks, 
until  I  gained  the  Colonel's  consent,  then 
the  man  who  lent  it  me  insisted  on  being  paid 
back." 

Borgert  looked  at  his  friend  in  amazement, 
then  he  strode  the   room   with   long  steps. 

"  Well,"  he  began,  after  a  httle  pause, 
"  all  right ;  you  go  surety  for  me  and  I  for 
you." 

"  Very  well ;  but  still  it  is  rather  risky,  for 
207 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

when  it  comes  to  the  pinch  and  neither  of  us 
has  any  money  it  will  be  a  bad  look-out." 

"  Such  a  case  cannot  happen,  my  dear 
fellow,  for  if  I  can  get  out  of  the  hole  this 
time  there  will  be  nothing  more  to  fear.  I  will 
marry." 

"  The  devil !  You  mean  to  do  that !  Then 
be  careful  how  you  choose  a  father-in-law,  or 
it  will  be  a  poor  game  for  you.  I  could  tell  you 
a  tale." 

''  Naturally  I  shan't  marry  on  empty 
promises.  I  shall  do  no  business  under  half 
a  million." 

"  You  don't  want  much !  Well,  I  wish 
you  good  luck  ;  but  listen — I  have  an  idea. 
What  about  Konig  ?  Is  he  good  for  a  few 
thousand    marks  ?  " 

"  I  have  already  thought  of  that,  but  it  is 
doubtful  if  he  will  do  it.  First  we  must  pay 
him  the  old  debt." 

"  But  it  won't  hurt  us  to  try.  He  can 
only  refuse.  I  will  at  once  write  a  few  lines 
to   him." 

Leimann  sat  down  at  the  desk  and  took  a 
sheet  of  paper  out  of  the  drawer.  Borgert  in 
the  meantime  excused  himself  for  a  moment 
because  he  had  something  to  say  to  his  man. 

He  wanted  to  make  use  of  the  time  while 
208 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Leimann  was  writing  to  wish  the  latter's  wife 
good  morning,  so  he  stole  quietly  up  the  back 
stairs  in  his  soft  sHppers.  He  found  the 
door  of  the  dressing-room  open.  He  went 
in  on  tip-toe  and  saw  Frau  Leimann  standing 
before  the  looking-glass.  Her  rich  blonde 
hair  hung  in  golden  strands  over  her 
shoulders,  falHng  below  her  hips.  And  as 
she  raised  her  arms,  the  wide  sleeves  of  her 
morning-gown  sUpped  back  to  her  elbow, 
reveahng  her  lovely  white  arms.  She  made 
a  beautiful  picture,  an  inspiration  for  an 
artist. 

Borgert  stood  still  for  a  few  minutes, 
gazing  with  longing  eyes  at  the  beautiful 
woman,  who  did  not  seem  to  suspect  that  a 
prying  stranger  was  watching  her.  Suddenly 
he  threw  open  the  door,  hurried  to  Frau 
Leimann,  kissed  her  on  her  neck,  and  stole 
quickly  downstairs  again.  He  strode  noisily 
through  the  corridor,  spoke  a  few  words  to 
his  man,  and  then  went  unconcernedly  into 
his  room. 

As  Leimann  was  still  writing,  he  took  a 
chair,  lit  a  cigarette  and  blew  the  smoke  into 
a  sunbeam  which  was  playing  in  the  room 
till  the  blue  cloudlets  wreathed  in  a  fantastic 
circle. 

209  P 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Having  finished  his  letter,  Leimann  put 
it  in  an  envelope,  wrote  the  address,  and 
ordered  the  man  to  take  it  to  its  destination 
at  once. 

*'  That  ought  to  draw  him,"  said  Leimann 
with  satisfaction,  as  he  got  up  from  the 
writing-table. 

"  What  have  you  written  him  ?  "  asked 
Borgert  inquiringly. 

"  Merely  that  I  need  money  for  a  comrade, 
and  that  I  appeal  to  the  generosity  of  which 
he  has  so  often  given  proof.  I  have  settled 
to  pay  him  back  in  three  months,  and  have 
given  my  word  for  punctual  payment,  as  you 
said  you  will  be  able  to  get  the  money  by 
then." 

"  Certainly  I  can,  if  the  fellow  will  only  part. 
Till  then  we  shall  find  a  way." 

They  chatted  for  about  half  an  hour,  when 
Rose  returned  with  the  answer  from  Captain 
Konig. 

Leimann  hastily  seized  the  letter,  but  then 
hesitated  to  open  it.  He  looked  undecidedly 
at  the  address,  and  gazed  questioningly 
across  at  Borgert,  who  was  still  sitting 
comfortably  in  his  chair. 

We  often  wait  longingly  for  news,  which 
may  be  of  a  pleasant  or  unpleasant  nature ; 

210 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

we  can  hardly  brook  the  delay  till  we  have 
the  decision  in  our  hands,  but  then  do  not 
dare  to  learn  the  result  lest  it  should  bring 
us  disappointment.  Uncertainty  is  better, 
for,  besides  the  fear  of  disappointment,  it 
also  includes  a  hope  of  happiness.  Finally 
Leimann  tore  open  the  envelope  and  unfolded 
the  letter. 

He  looked  startled  at  the  writing.  Borgert 
saw  by  his  friend's  face,  who  stood  beside 
him  with  eyebrows  raised  and  nervously 
twitching  hands,  that  Konig's  answer  was 
unfavourable.  But  he  was  calmer,  less 
taken  aback  than  Leimann,  although  the 
affair  touched  him  more  nearly.  For  a 
long  time  it  had  been  nothing  new  to  him  to 
receive  such  refusals  to  his  attempts  to  secure 
loans  and  the  Hke.  A  man  gets  accustomed 
to  anything. 

His  face,  however,  assumed  an  angry 
expression  when  he  himself  had  read  the 
answer  which  Leimann  handed  to  him  with- 
out a  word.    The  letter  read  as  follows  : — 

*'  To  my  great  regret  I  am  not  in  a  position 
to  grant  your  request.  In  the  first  place, 
because  I  cannot,  and  dare  not  on  account 
of  my  family,  let  such  large  sums  out  of  my 

211  p  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

hands  unless  absolute  security  be  offered  me. 
I  am  sorry  to  say  I  cannot  see  such  assurance 
for  punctual  repayment  in  your  word  of 
honour,  for  you,  as  well  as  Lieutenant  Bor- 
gert,  have  not  been  able  to  repay  me  the 
money  I  lent  you  some  months  ago,  although 
you  at  that  time  gave  me  your  word  to  settle 
your  debt  within  ten  days.  In  the  second 
place,  it  seems  to  me  that,  from  what  I  have 
lately  heard  about  your  affairs,  I  cannot  see 
how  you  can  possibly  keep  the  promise  you 
make  to-day." 

Borgert  got  up  and  threw  the  letter  angrily 
on  the  floor,  then  he  went  to  the  window  and 
looked  out  into  the  street. 

Neither  spoke  a  word.  Only  when  their 
glances  met,  Leimann  asked  : 

"  What  do  you  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  Blackguardly  insolence  !  "  blustered  Bor- 
gert. "  What  can  people  be  thinking  of  to 
mix  themselves  in  our  private  affairs  ?  It 
was  unfriendly  enough  to  send  us  a  refusal — 
but  in  this  offensive  tone  !  We  can't  put  up 
with  this  !  " 

"  What  can  we  do  ?  "  answered  Leimann, 
shrugging  his  shoulders.  "If  we  take  any 
steps    against    him    he    will    answer    that    we 

212 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

gave  him  our  word  then,  and  that  we  cannot 
dispute.  He  has  my  promise  in  black  and 
white.  It  is  therefore  better  that  we  put  up 
with  his  insolence  and  cut  the  fellow.  He 
will  soon  notice  it.  He  seems  to  have  quite 
forgotten  that  it  would  be  easy  for  us  to  ruin 
him.  Did  not  he  himself  say  at  that  time 
that  he  would  lend  us  the  amount  out  of  the 
squadron's  funds  ?  I  mean,  it  would  not  be 
agreeable  to  him  if  this  fact  got  about." 

"  That  is  true  ;  but  you  can't  mix  yourself 
up  in  this,  because  his  onslaught  on  the  cash- 
box  was  made  in  our  interest." 

'*  It  is  all  the  same  to  me.  If  he  thinks 
that  he  can  show  us  such  insolence  I  for  one 
will  pay  him  back  in  the  same  coin." 

"  But  you  cannot  give  it  out  that  K6nig 
lent  you  money  after  he  had  taken  it  from 
the  cash-box.  That  would  throw  a  curious 
light  on  your  behaviour." 

"  I  shouldn't  commence  so  awkwardly.  One 
can  set  about  the  matter  in  a  round-about 
way,  and  I  will  so  arrange  it  that  no  one  shall 
know  who  began  the  report.  But  I  will  pay 
the   brute   out." 

Both  were  again  silent,  and  a  few  minutes 
later  Leimann  said  good-bye  because  he  had 
an  errand  in  town  before  dinner.  Borgert 
213 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

also  did  not  remain  longer  in  his  rooms.     He 

went  to   the   casino    and  forgot  his   ill-temper 

in  a  bottle  of  champagne. 

*  *  * 

As  Borgert  awoke  a  few  mornings  later 
he  noticed  to  his  great  consternation  that 
he  had  overslept  himself,  thus  again  missing 
parade.  He  rang  violently  for  his  man,  but 
even  after  a  second  pull  at  the  bell  Rose 
did  not   appear. 

Borgert  dressed  himself  and  went  into 
Rose's  room.  He  found  it  empty.  The  bed 
was  untouched,  and  on  it  lay  the  fellow's 
uniform  and  cap. 

Astonished,  he  looked  round  the  little 
room,  which  was  filled  with  a  foetid  atmo- 
sphere, a  smell  of  dirty  linen  and  worn-out 
clothing.  Where  could  Rose  have  gone 
without  saying  a  word  ?  Was  he  on  duty  ? 
No,  that  could  not  be,  for  there  was  his 
uniform. 

Borgert  was  already  standing  on  the 
threshold  and  about  to  leave  the  room,  when 
he  caught  sight  of  a  piece  of  paper  lying  on 
the  dirty  table. 

He  took  it  up,  and  his  face  grew  pale  as 
he  read  it,  for  it  contained  in  clumsy  writing 
the  following  words :  "I  beg  to  take  my 
214 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

leave  of  you."  Borgert  stared  at  the  paper 
as  if  turned  to  stone.  The  fellow  had 
deserted. 

Borgert  could  not  deceive  himself  for  a 
moment  as  to  the  reason  for  this,  and  he 
suddenly  felt  uneasy,  as  the  idea  flashed 
through  his  mind  that  perhaps  Rose  would 
be  caught.  Then  everything  would  come 
out — ^his  bad  treatment,  his  blows,  and  all 
else  that  Rose  had  either  himself  seen  or 
learnt  about  his  master. 

As  if  stunned,  he  went  into  his  room  and 
sat  on  the  side  of  the  bed. 

He  thought  he  was  dreaming.  All  sorts 
of  ideas  ran  wildly  through  his  head,  and  his 
pale  lips  twitched  nervously. 

Were  all  in  conspiracy  against  him  ? 
Trouble,  adversity,  disappointment  on  all 
sides.  No  ray  of  light  in  the  future,  which 
rose  black  and  threatening  before  him. 

For  the  first  time  the  thought  came  on 
him  with  terrible  certainty  that  a  catastrophe 
was  imminent,  and  that,  unless  a  miracle 
should  happen,  nothing  could  save  him. 
But  how  could  a  miracle  happen  ?  All  faith 
and  hope  faded  into  thin  air  in  the  few 
moments  as  he  recognised  the  crushing 
burden  of  his  debts  and  sins.  A  fear,  a 
215 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

horror  of  himself,  and  a  feehng  of  helpless- 
ness overcame  the  man  whom  otherwise 
nothing  could  move — the  man  who,  with  cold 
calculation,  and  remorselessly,  was  accus- 
tomed to  struggle  against  all  difficulties  and 
awkward  situations  in  life.  Incapable  of  deep 
emotion  or  noble  feeling,  till  now  he  had  gone 
the  way  of  egotism,  with  a  brutality  which 
his  superficial  view  of  Hfe  had  given  him. 

For  a  long  time  he  sat  there,  pale  and 
still,  his  eyes  fixed  on  vacancy ;  only  the 
nervous  twitching  of  his  face  betrayed  that 
there  was  yet  life  in  the  motionless  figure. 
The  inward  struggle  and  contention  of  a 
man  who  only  learns  too  late  how  he  has 
violently  ruined  and  trodden  under  foot 
his  own  life,  who  hopes  for  an  unmerited 
intervention  of  fate,  and  in  whom  the 
frightened  soul  struggles  on,  hoping  against 
hope,  as  a  drowning  man  struggles  with  the 
waves  till  his  last  breath,  even  when  he  sees 
no  helping  hand  from  far  or  near,  racked 
his  soul. 

Borgert  now  saw  himself  clearly ;  he  had 
summed  up  his  position  and  recognised  his 
life  had  been  spoiled  by  his  own  doing.  He 
determined  to  bear  the  consequences,  now 
that  he  could  no  longer  escape  them. 
216 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON   TOWN 

Mechanically  he  dressed  himself  and  went 
to  the  barracks  to  tell  the  Captain  he  had 
missed  parade. 

For  the  present  he  intended  saying  nothing 
of  Rose's  flight,  for  if  the  deserter  were  at 
once  pursued  it  was  almost  certain  that  in  a 
few  days  he  would  be  arrested.  If,  however, 
he  had  forty-eight  hours'  start,  he  would 
have  just  sufficient  time  to  reach  a  secure 
hiding-place,  and  then  Borgert  would  be 
spared  the  ordeal  of  being  called  Defore  a 
court-martial  and  sentenced  for  ill-treating  a 
subordinate. 

As  he  again  entered  his  home  about  mid- 
day, he  found  a  letter  awaiting  him.  It  was 
the  answer  from  the  money-lender  in  Berlin, 
telling  him  in  a  few  words  that  a  loan  could 
not  be  granted,  because  inquiries  about 
Borgert  and  his  surety,  Leimann,  had  revealed 
the  fact  that  they  were  both  in  an  extremely 
impecunious  position. 

Borgert  bore  the  news  nonchalantly,  for 
since  the  morning  he  had  given  up  every 
hope  of  a  favourable  issue,  and  so  had 
expected  nothing  different. 

Looking  at  the  matter  dispassionately,  it 
was  obvious  that  no  man  would  lend  money 
on  the  security  of  an  honest  face  and  fine 
217 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

words,  so  it  would  be  no  good  to  take 
any  more  trouble  in  the  matter.  If  in 
spite  of  this  there  had  been  people  who 
had  placed  money  at  his  disposal,  it  was 
only  on  Leimann's  surety,  who  understood 
how  to  place  his  affairs  in  such  a  favourable 
light  that  he  was  simply  believed  without  any 
special  inquiries  being  made  about  him. 

Worn  out  and  distracted,  he  threw  himself 
down  on  the  sofa. 

He  did  not  want  to  go  to  the  mess,  for 
he  had  no  appetite,  and  did  not  feel  in  a 
mood  to  chatter  and  joke  with  his  comrades. 
He  did  not  wish  to  see  any  one ;  he  only 
wanted  to  be  alone — quite  alone. 

He  gazed  round  the  magnificent  room, 
and  as  he  saw  the  beautiful  pictures  on  the 
walls,  the  costly  oak  furniture  and  valuable 
carpets,  it  pained  him  that  all  this  splendour 
and  beauty  would  become  prey  to  his 
creditors.  When  the  crisis  came  they  would 
all  fight  and  struggle  to  get  possession.  But 
that  did  not  help  him.  In  a  few  days  the 
crash  would  come.  There  was  no  possibility 
of  salvation. 

Still,    what    would    then    become    of    him  ? 
He    had    not    yet    begun    to    think    about    it. 
Was  he  to  see  himself  stripped  of  everything 
2i8 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

and  an  outcast  on  the  streets  ?  Waiting  in 
this  way  he  would  be  put  in  prison.  Time  was 
short ;  he  had  to  come  to  a  decision  quickly ; 
he  must  do  so  at  once.  He  could  not  see 
what  he  still  had  to  hope  for  in  this  miserable 
and  unhappy  Hfe.  For  to  leave,  scorned 
and  despised  by  all,  to  learn  a  new  profession 
and  be  obliged  to  work,  was  not  to  his  taste. 
Luxurious  and  exacting  as  he  was,  to  foice 
himself  to  lead  a  simple  Hfe,  perhaps  hold  a 
modest  or  inferior  position,  would  be  next 
door  to  impossible  for  him.  For  that  required 
energy,  self-denial,  and  love  of  work,  all  of 
which  he  lacked.  Should  he  simply  blow 
his  brains   out  ? 

No — that  was  bad  form  and  required 
courage,  which  he  had  only  possessed  when 
there  was  nothing  to  risk. 

And  finally,  who  could  know  if  he  would 
not  some  time  meet  with  good  luck  ?  Then 
suicide    would    be    a    premature    folly.      Life 

could  be  so  beautiful,  and  to  cut  it  short 

No — a  thousand  times,  no  ! 

For  a  long  time  he  ransacked  his  mind, 
but  could  find  no  practical  solution  for  his 
difficulties.  He  thought  of  his  servant.  How 
slyly  had  he  set  to  work  to  free  himself  from 
a  position  which  did  not  suit  him  !  Perhaps 
219 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

he  was  now  settled  down,  at  ease  and  un- 
disturbed, in  a  quiet  corner  where  nobody 
would  think  of  asking  questions  about  him, 
v/here  he  could  live  and  be  merry. 

If  he  himself  could  only  do  that  ! 

The  more  the  thought  of  secret  flight 
took  form  in  Borgert's  mind,  the  more 
feasible  the  plan  seemed  to  him.  Among 
fresh  people  in  another  land  he  could  begin 
life  again.  How  long  would  it  be  before  he 
was  forgotten  ?  Perhaps  in  a  year  his  name 
would  no  longer  be  mentioned,  or,  at  any 
rate,  only  as  that  of  a  dead  man.  As  for  the 
rest,  nobody  would  trouble  about  him. 

He  was  so  sunk  in  his  thoughts  that  he 
did  not  notice  when  the  door  opened  and 
Frau  Leimann  entered. 

She  looked  pale  and  anxious,  her  usually 
young  and  beautiful  face  had  aged,  and  her 
eyes    had    a  frightened    expression. 

Borgert  did  not  rise,  but  without  a  word 
he  simply  nodded.  At  the  same  time  his 
glance  fell  on  the  woman's  figure. 

To-day  she  did  not  seem  worth  having, 
she  looked  quite  unHke  herself.  Her  move- 
ments seemed  limp  and  without  grace,  the 
charms  which  had  so  often  intoxicated  him 
he    saw    no    longer.      Her    hair    was    tangled 

220 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

and  hurriedly  arranged  ;  the  folds  of  her  dis- 
orderly morning-gown,  carelessly  flung  on, 
did  not  suggest  the  full  form,  the  roundness 
of  Hmbs  and  the  health  of  a  young  woman. 
But  she  appeared  to  him  old  and  worn. 

Was  it  merely  passion  that  had  made  this 
woman  appear  so  beautiful,  so  desirable 
to  him  ?  And  to-day  was  it  mental  and 
nervous  exhaustion  which  had  killed  that 
desire  so  that  she  no  longer  had  charms 
for  him  ?  He  did  not  realise  that  he  was 
influenced  by  two  contrary  impressions — 
the  woman  as  she  now  stood  befoie  him 
and  the  glorious  creature  whose  flowing  hair 
and  naked  arms  and  shoulders  he  had  seen 
and  kissed  a  few  days  before. 

She  sat  down  on  the  sofa  close  to  him 
and  took  his  hand  in  heis.  Her  eyes  looked 
anxiously  into  the  face  of  the  man  who  lay 
so  apathetic  and  indifferent  before  her. 

'*  Are  you  ill,  George  ?  "  she  asked  him, 
troubled. 

He  shook  his  head  without  a  word. 

"  But  do  tell  me  what  is  the  matter  with 
you — ^tell  me  !  " 

*'  Nothing   and   everything." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  George  ?  Do  speak 
sensibly." 

221 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  What  shall  I  speak  about,  my  dear  ? 
Fve  done  with  it  all.  There  is  nothing  else 
the  matter  !  " 

"  Done  with  what  ?  What  do  you  mean 
me  to  understand  by  that  ?  " 

"  With  everything — with  Hfe  and  with 
myself !  " 

"  You  are  speaking  in  riddles,  George. 
Tell  me  openly  and  plainly  what  has  hap- 
pened." 

"  I'm  dead  broke.  I  must  get  away  or 
there  will  be  trouble." 

Borgert  felt  her  whole  body  quiver.  She 
answered  nothing,  but,  turning  her  face  slowly 
away,  looked  through  the  window. 

In  his  heart  Borgert  was  thankful  that 
she  took  the  news  so  quietly,  instead  of,  aftei 
the  manner  of  women,  screaming  and  falling 
into  hysterics.  And  as  he  watched  her  pale 
profile  against  the  window  and  saw  the  tears 
standing  in  her  eyes,  he  was  overcome  with 
pity  for  her  and  drew  her  into  his  arms. 

And  as  he  held  her  in  a  silent  embrace 
she  whispered  to  him  : 

"  Take  me  with  you,  George." 

Startled,  Borgert  replied  : 

*'  For  Heaven's  sake,  what  put  such 
thoughts  in  your  head  ?     How^  dare  I  do  it  ?  " 

222 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Dear  George,  take  me  with  you.  I  can't 
stand  it  any  longer  here." 

"  But  that  is  out  of  the  question,  my 
darling.  There  will  be  scandal  enough  if  I 
disappear  alone.  And  if  I  should  take  you 
with  me  ?     Impossible  !  " 

"  Then  I  will  go  alone.  I  must  go  away 
—I  must." 

"  Why  so  suddenly  ?    What  has  happened  ?  " 

Frau  Leimann  broke  into  passionate  sob- 
bing. 

"  My  husband  has  struck  me  because  the 
bailiff  came  again.  I  can't  stand  such  treat- 
ment any  longer — for — I  have  no  money  to 
pay  my  debts,  and  something  dreadful  will 
happen." 

Borgert  had  some  trouble  to  quiet  the 
excited   woman. 

He  thought  the  matter  over.  The  idea 
was  not  a  bad  one.  If  she  wanted  to  go 
away  she  might  just  as  well  go  with  him, 
then  he  would  have  at  least  somebody  with 
him  to  whom  he  could  sometimes  speak,  and, 
still  further,  one  who  was  in  the  same  boat  as 
himself. 

And  as  Frau  Leimann  looked  at  him 
entreatingly,  he  took  her  again  in  his  arms 
and  whispered  : 

223 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Yes,  come  with  me.  We  will  go  to- 
morrow  evening . ' ' 

Long  he  held  her  in  his  arms,  then  he  tore 
himself  from  her  caresses  and  led  her  to  a 
chair. 

He  sat  down  opposite  her  and  said  : 

"  Now  we  must  speak  sensibly  about 
our  plans.  First,  how  shall  you  get  away 
without  your  husband's  knowledge  ?  " 

*'  Max  is  going  to  BerHn  to-morrow.  He 
is  obHged  to  go  there  on  duty.  Hasn't  he 
told  you  ?  " 

"  No.  But  that  settles  the  matter  splen- 
didly. Now,  further,  have  you  money  for  the 
journey  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  my  mother  has  sent  three  hundred 
marks,  and  I  haven't  spent  any,  because  I 
had  quite  made  up  my  mind  to  go  away." 

*'  Well,  you  are  better  off  than  I  am.  I 
have  only  one  mark.  But  I'll  manage  some- 
how or  other.  Thirdly,  how  will  you  get 
your  luggage  to  the  station  without  anyone 
seeing  it  ?  You  can't  go  away  with  only  the 
dress  you  have  on." 

"  Quite  easily,   George.      Ask    my    husband 

to-day   to    lend    you   his    big   trunk,    and   teU 

him  you  are  obliged  to  go  home  ;    then  I  will 

pack  everything  in  it,  and  the  man  will  carry 

224 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

it  downstairs  to  you.     It  is  big  enough  for  us 
both." 

"  I  always  said  so,"  replied  Borgert,  laughing. 
"  There  is  an  old  proverb — 

•  A  woman's  tongue,  in  plottings  great, 
The  wiliest  tricks  to  you  will  prate.' 

Your  stratagem  is  first-rate,  and  I  accept  it." 
"  And  by  what  train  shall  we  travel  ?  " 
"  You  go  in  the  afternoon,  so  that  we  don't 
leave  together,  which  would  naturally  be 
remarked.  I'll  follow  by  the  evening  train. 
It  will  be  best  to  meet  in  the  waiting-room 
at  Frankfort,  then  we  can  talk  over  what  we 
are  going  to  do  in  the  future  quietly.  Of 
course  I  shall  take  three  days'  leave  of 
absence,  so  that  I  shall  not  be  followed  at 
once." 

"  So  far  we  agree.  I  will  come  down  in 
the  morning  as  soon  as  my  husband  has  gone 
away,  and  then  we  can  discuss  the  matter  again. 
Now  I  must  go  upstairs." 

Still  one  more  loving  kiss  and  Frau  Leimann 
turned  towards  the  door.  As  she  nodded  to 
Borgert  from  across  the  threshold  she  pleased 
him  again. 

With    her    flaming   cheeks,    rough   hair    and 
bright    eyes    she   was    charming !     A    kind    of 
delight   came   over   him   at   the   thought   that 
225  Q 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

this  lovely  woman  would  belong  to  him,  that  she 
would  always  be  with  him,  and  would  help 
him  to  bear  all  the  disagreeables  that  were  in 
store  for  him. 

All  at  once  Borgert  had  regained  his  good 
humour,  and  quite  recovered  his  spirits.  For 
now  his  flight  would  have  quite  another  con- 
struction— ^people  would  say  they  had  fled  as 
lovers.  There  would  be  enough  scandal  and 
gossip,  but  the  whole  affair  seemed  to  him  more 
dignified,  interesting  and  excusable,  than  if  it 
were  said  he  had  bolted  because  he  could  not 
face  his  debts  and  to  save  himself  from  the 
consequences  of  underhand  deahngs. 

For  a  moment  a  voice  of  conscience 
mingled  with  his  joy,  warning  him  not  to 
commit  a  fresh  crime.  But  the  voice  was  so 
weak  and  feeble  that  Borgert  scarcely  heard 
it.  The  principal  thing  was  that  it  offered 
him  something  agreeable,  an  advantage 
which  he  should  not  let  shp  simply  in  con- 
sideration for  others  ;  they  only  came  in  after 
himself. 

The  more  strongly  egoism  rules  in  man  the 
more  easily  he  overcomes  all  emotions,  all 
sentimental  thoughts  which  warn  him  against 
sin.  If  we  hope  to  gain  an  advantage  from 
such  sin,  then  do  we  wander  from  the  right 
226 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

path.  For  that  reason  the  greatest  criminals 
are  also  the  greatest  egoists.  So  Borgert 
turned  cheerfully  towards  the  town,  went  to 
the  post-office,  wheie  he  sent  a  telegram  to  a 
second-hand  furniture  dealer  in  the  neigh- 
bouring town  requesting  him  to  call  the  next 
morning. 

Then  he  returned  home  and  went  upstairs  to 
Leimann's.  He  found  his  friend  packing  his 
box. 

"  So  to-morrow  you  are  going  away  ?  I  only 
heard  it  at  midday  !  "  said  Borgert,  holding  out 
his  hand. 

"  I  am  not  so  very  pleased  about  it,  for  I 
am  in  no  way  prepared  for  such  a  journey.  But 
that  is  always  the  way.  One  only  receives  orders 
at  the  last  moment,  so  that  one  has  just  time  to 
catch  the  train." 

"  In  spite  of  that,  I  envy  you  the  pleasant 
journey.  I  have  a  less  agreeable  one  before 
me." 

**  Are  you  also  going  away  ?  " 

"  I  don't  want  to,  but  I  must !  " 

"  Where  are  you  going  ?  " 

"  Home.  I  am  going  away  to-morrow 
afternoon." 

"  Ah,  I  understand  !  A  pleasant  journey  and 
good  luck !  " 

227  Q  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

*'  Thank  you  !  Oh,  by  the  way,  can  you  lend 
me  a  trunk  ?  I  should  like  to  take  some  things 
home  with  me,  and  mine  is  too  small  to  hold 
them." 

*'  Of  course.  My  man  shall  carry  my  big  box 
downstairs  ;  will  that  do  ?  " 

"  Certainly — quite  large  enough  ;  many 
thanks ! " 

Borgert  noticed  that  his  visit  was  not  very 
welcome.  Leimann  was  in  a  bad  temper, 
and  would  not  let  himself  be  disturbed  in  his 
occupation  in  the  least.  He  was  so  wrapped 
up  in  thought  that  he  scarcely  heard  Bor- 
gert's  questions,  who  thought  well  to  say 
good-bye,  promising  to  come  up  again  to 
supper. 

"  But  when  can  I  have  the  box  ?  "  he  asked 
as  he  was  leaving. 

"  As  soon  as  my  man  returns  from  the  town  ; 
so  good-bye." 

Borgert,  when  he  reached  his  room,  sank 
down  in  an  arm-chair.  He  felt  so  well  and 
free  that  he  could  have  shouted  for  joy,  for 
in  a  day  he  would  be  rid  of  the  whole  lot, 
and  there  would  be  no  need  for  him  to 
worry.  And  moreover,  to  have  such  a 
pleasant  companion !  He  wondered  that 
the  idea  had  not  entered  his  head  before. 
228 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Then  it  flashed  across  him  that  he  had  not 
yet  begun  to  think  of  packing ;  he  would  at 
least  put  everything  in  order  that  nothing 
might  be  forgotten. 

As  he  looked  round  the  beautiful  room  he 
considered  what  he  should  take  away  with 
him.  Then,  getting  up,  he  took  down  a 
silver  cup  from  the  wall,  the  farewell  present 
from  his  former  regiment,  and  put  it  on  the 
table   in    the    next    room. 

An  album,  several  photographs,  a  packet 
of  letters,  two  riding  whips  and  two  small 
oil-paintings,  the  work  of  his  dead  sister — 
that  was  all  he  thought  of  taking  with  him. 
All  the  rest  could  remain  to  solace  his 
creditors. 

At  seven  o'clock  he  again  went  to  the 
Leimanns'  :  he  found  them  already  at  table. 
Leimann's  face  grew  gloomy  as  Borgert 
came  in,  and  he  hardly  looked  up  from  his 
plate. 

His  wife  sat  with  flaming  cheeks  opposite 
him.  She  did  not  touch  her  food,  but  looked 
anxiously  across  to  her  husband. 

The    whole    evening    the    cloud    hung    over 

them    all,    and    not    even    a    bottle    of    Eckel 

could    rouse    their    usual    hilarity.      Leimann 

was  in  a  bad  humour,   and  nothing  could  be 

229 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

done  with  him.  For  that  reason  they  sepa- 
rated sooner  than  usual,  and  their  parting 
was  cooler  than  was  customary.  But  still 
Frau  Leimann  had  the  opportunity  of  giving 
her  lover  a  hasty  kiss  in  the  corridor  as 
her  husband  went  into  the  room  to  fetch  a 

match. 

*  *  * 

The  next  morning  Borgert  had  scarcely 
dressed  when  the  furniture  dealer  came.  The 
Lieutenant  greeted  him  pleasantly  and  begged 
him  to  enter,  then  he  completed  his  toilet  and 
began  to  bargain  with  the  Jew. 

"  Will  you  just  look  at  my  furniture  ?  " 
said  he.  "I  am  thinking  of  selling  every- 
thing just  as  it  is,  foi  I  have  been  transferred ; 
but  kindly  be  discreet  about  the  matter  for 
the  present.  How  much  would  you  give  for 
it?" 

The  Jew  looked  thoughtfully  round  the 
room.  He  felt  and  tested  each  piece, 
examined  the  coverlets  and  carpets,  and 
summed  up  the  costly  carving  of  the  book- 
case. Then  he  took  a  notebook  out  of  his 
pocket,  squinted  at  each  single  thing,  and 
then  noted  down  the  price.  Finally  he 
turned  to  Borgert,  and,  with  a  questioning 
look,  said  : 

230 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Fifteen  hundred  marks,  sir — money 
down." 

"  What  I — fifteen  hundred  marks  ?  "  exclaimed 
Borgert,  very  disappointed.  "  I  paid  almost 
ten  thousand  marks  for   the  things  !  " 

"  I  am  sorry,  sir,"  said  the  Jew,  shrugging 
his  shoulders  ;  "  old  things  are  not  new  ones  ; 
nobody  would  pay  more." 

'*  That  is  too  little — it  is  almost  giving  it 
away." 

"  Very  well,  I  will  give  you  two  thousand 
marks,  but  not  a  penny  more." 

Borgert  sat  down  in  his  writing-chair.  He 
was  considering,  and,  while  doing  so,  the  Jew 
peered  at  him  expectantly. 

"  All  right,  give  me  the  money,"  said 
Borgert,  after  thinking  the  matter  over  ;  "  you 
can    have    the    stuff." 

Though  it  seemed  to  him  that  two  thousand 
marks  was  a  beggarly  sum  for  such  costly 
furniture,  yet  it  was  better  than  nothing,  so 
he  quickly  determined  to  take  the  paltry 
price  rather  than  be  obliged  to  give  up  his 
idea  of  flight  for  want  of  money. 

The  Jew,  with  a  smirk  of  satisfaction, 
drew  a  paper  out  of  his  pocket-book  and, 
writing  down  a  few  words,  gave  it  to  Borgert 
to   sign. 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

When  the  Jew  had  gone  away  and 
Borgert  held  the  two  thousand  mark  notes 
in  his  hand,  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  last 
hindrance  to  his  flight  was  overcome,  for 
ready  money  was  the  chief  thing.  He 
folded  the  notes  together,  and  putting  them 
in  his  purse  went  into  his  bedroom  and  took 
a  travelHng  suit  out  of  his  wardrobe.  The 
rest  of  his  mufti  he  packed  in  the  box  with 
Frau  Leimann's  dresses,  then  on  the  top  of 
these  the  few  things  he  intended  taking  with 
him,  and  had  the  box  taken  at  once  to  the 
railway-station. 

The  Colonel  showed  Httle  desire  to  grant 
Borgert  leave  of  absence,  and  only  after  he 
had  again  represented  to  him  the  urgency  of 
the  journey  did  the  former  allow  himself  to 
be  persuaded  and  give  the  three  days'  leave. 
Finally  he  hoped  that  the  Lieutenant  would 
be  able  to  arrange  matteis  with  his  father 
and  so  get  the  disagreeable  money  affairs 
settled.  That  would  be  very  pleasant  for 
him — ^and  so  he  let  him  go. 

In  the  meantime  Leimann  was  well  on  his 
journey.  The  two  friends  had  not  even  said 
good-bye.  His  wife  was  still  very  busy. 
There  was  much  to  do ;  here  a  packet  of 
letters  to  burn  which  neither  her  husband  nor 
232 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

George  could  be  allowed  to  read,  there  a 
few  little  souvenirs  to  pack,  mostly  worth- 
less, useless  things  whose  value  lay  in  their 
remembrances. 

The  heart  of  a  woman  clings  to  such  things 
as  bring  back  to  her  mind  happy  moments, 
and  she  would  sooner  give  away  the  most 
beautiful  ring  she  had  bought  than  the  dried 
flower  or  the  Uttle  amulet  from  the  hand  of 
a  man  who  had  once  played  an  important  part 
in  her  Ufe. 

Two  days  ago  she  had  thought  the  secret 
good-bye  to  Bubi,  her  little  two-year-old  son, 
would  cause  her  sorrow,  and  now  she  felt  a 
prick  of  conscience  because  she  could  take 
leave  of  him  with  a  light  heart,  without 
shedding  a  tear,  and  so  leave  her  only  child 
motherless,  to  face  an  uncertain,  perhaps 
unhappy,  future. 

It  was  inexplicable,  but  from  the  first 
moment  she  had  felt  something  hke  aversion 
for  the  child  with  its  broad  nose,  big  mouth, 
and  little  piercing  eyes.  After  a  few  weeks 
it  bore  a  decided  likeness  to  its  father,  and 
the  more  the  estrangement  grew  between  her 
husband  and  herself,  the  more  the  mother's 
love  in  her  seemed  to  shrink.  She  looked 
upon  the  ugly  Httle  creature,  that  was  always 
233 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

screaming,  as  his  child  only,  and  upon  her- 
self as  the  natural  means  of  bringing  it  into 
the  world  ;  and  so  it  happened  that  the  poor 
little  baby  was  almost  always  in  the  kitchen, 
and  passed  its  life,  fed,  reared  and  brought 
up  by  the  servants.  The  mother  hardly  saw 
her  child  one  hour  in  the  day.  There  are 
women  who,  vain  and  conscious  only  of 
their  own  beauty,  look  upon  it  as  an  insult 
of  nature  and  a  punishment  from  Heaven 
when  they  bear  ugly  children ;  children  for 
whom  they  feel  an  inward  distaste,  and 
avoid  as  they  would  try  to  forget  an 
outrage  committed  against  their  womanly 
pride. 

She  felt  justified  in  leaving  her  husband,  for 
he  deserved  no  better  treatment,  and  so  she 
was  hardly  conscious  of  guilt  when  at  three 
o'clock  she  got  into  a  first-class  cairiage  on 
the  Frankfort  express.  What  man  does  not 
try  to  justify  his  sins  and  errors  to  himself  ? 
Superficial,  self-seeking  men  even  have  reached 
the  point  of  seeing  in  the  greatest  crimes 
committed  by  themselves  merely  a  trifling 
fault  which  their  fellow-men  judge  too 
harshly  because  they  have  not  understood 
their  motives. 

Borgert  was  such  a  man ;  for  the  egoist, 
234 


LIFE  IN   A  GARRISON  TOWN 

the  end  justifies  the  means.  In  good  spirits 
and  quite  satisfied,  he  parted  from  the 
garrison,  his  friends  and  his  duties,  with  a 
scornful  smile  at  those  who,  owing  to  narrow- 
ness of  mind,  cling  to  customs  and  traditions, 
and  have  not  the  pluck  to  tread  under  foot 
the  interests  of  others  should  it  be  to  their 
own  advantage. 

As,  late  in  the  evening,  the  two  sat 
together  in  the  dining-room  of  an  expensive 
hotel,  it  seemed  to  them  that  their  future 
would  be  a  dream  of  sunshine  without 
shadows,  and  so  they  celebrated  the  first 
day  of  their  new  free  life  in  a  bottle  of 
champagne. 


235 


Chapter  VI 


THE  flight  of  Lieutenant  Borgert  did 
not  long  remain  a  secret. 
When  after  the  expiration  of  his 
three  days'  leave  he  did  not  return, 
a  telegram  sent  to  his  father  elicited  the  fact 
that  he  had  not  been  home.  The  supposition 
was  obvious  that  he  had  deseited  in  order  to 
escape  the  consequences  of  his  fast  life. 

It  is  true  that,  with  the  exception  of 
Leimann,  nobody  really  knew  in  what  a 
terrible  state  his  affairs  were.  Only  when  the 
Jew  came  to  take  away  the  things  he  had 
bought,  and  the  sheriff's  officers  armed  with  a 
new  writ  for  a  large  sum  put  in  a  prior  claim, 
did  the  catastrophe  take  place  which  exposed 
at  one  stroke  the  system  on  which  Borgert 
had    worked. 

All  Borgert 's  property  was  seized  in  the 
name  of  the  law,  and  a  day  fixed  on  which  to 
consider  how  the  claims  of  the  various  credi- 
tors should  be  dealt  with. 

Although     the     valuable     furniture     repre- 
sented   a    fairly    large    asset,    it    was    only    a 
drop  in  the  ocean,  for  when  by  order  of  Court 
236 


LIFE  IN   A  GARRISON  TOWN 

a  notice  was  inserted  in  the  papers  asking  all 
those  who  could  prove  their  claims  to  send 
them  in,  a  mountain  of  bills  poured  in,  the 
sum  total  being  over  20,000  marks. 

At  the  same  time  the  Court  impounded 
the  whole  of  Borgert's  possible  private  for- 
tune, and  a  warrant  was  issued  for  the 
arrest  of  the  guilty  man  on  a  charge  of 
fraud. 

The  Court  had  his  apartments  sealed,  and 
even  his  poor  horse  bore  a  small  seal  on  his 
mane,  which  was  artistically  plaited  with 
thread. 

The  particulars  of  the  latest  event  spread 
through  the  little  town  and  the  neighbour- 
hood like  wildfire,  and  there  were  also  short 
notices  in  the  newspapers. 

The  Colonel  was  quite  dejected.  The  know- 
ing gentlemen  of  the  regiment  of  course  had 
seen  the  crash  coming  foi  a  long  time,  as, 
whatever  happens,  there  are  always  people 
who  foresee  the  inevitable,  but  only  when 
it  has  happened  do  they  with  a  superior  smile 
maintain  they  had  expected  nothing  else  for 
years. 

But  the  Colonel  in  great  grief  expressed 
his  opinion  to  Captain  Konig  that  "  this  was 
the  last  straw  that  would  break  the  camel's 
237 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

back,"  and  from  that  time  he  performed  his 
duties  with  a  very  distressed  air.  For  by 
degrees  he  saw  clearly  than  an  efficient  man- 
agement of  his  officers  should  be  carried  out 
in  another  manner,  and  that  his  pohcy  had 
been  a  mistaken  one. 

Only  after  some  days  was  it  known  that 
Frau  Leimann  had  followed  Borgert,  when 
her  husband  on  his  return  from  BerHn 
received  a  letter  from  her  begging  for  forgive- 
ness and  protesting  she  could  not  have  acted 
otherwise. 

So  Leimann  was  doubly  punished — first  of 
all  ridiculed  and  scoffed  at  before  the  whole 
world  for  having  a  runaway  wife,  and  then 
obliged  to  sell  the  greater  part  of  his  property 
as  quickly  as  possible  in  order  to  answer  the 
demands  of  those  for  whom  he  had  been 
Borgert's  surety.  Nothing  but  the  bare 
necessaries  of  life  remained. 

At  first  it  was  beheved  that  Frau  Leimann's 
letter  would  put  them  on  the  track  of  the 
fugitives ;  later,  not  even  the  numerous  de- 
scriptions of  the  detectives  or  police  agents 
were  successful  in  tracing  them.  Whether 
they  were  in  Germany  or  in  a  foreign  country 
nobody  knew. 

About  two  weeks  after  the  flight  Rose  was 
JJ38 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 


caught.  He  had  been  caught  on  the  Belgian 
frontier  owing  to  the  description  in  the 
warrant. 

The  trial  resulted  in  the  eliciting  of  the 
fact  that  Borgert  had  repeatedly  ill-treated 
him,  and  this  had  driven  him  to  desert. 
But  this  only  slightly  mitigated  his  punish- 
ment, and  everybody  was  sorry  for  the  poor 
soldier  whose  misfortune  had  been  caused 
by   the   iniquities   and    bad   treatment    of   his 

superior. 

He  «  ♦ 

In  the  divorce  suit  which  Leimann  brought 
against  his  wife,  many  ugly  facts  came  to 
light. 

Both  the  maid-servants,  as  also  the  man- 
servant, told  stories  which  made  the  few  hairs 
on  Leimann 's  head  stand  on  end,  and  he 
could  not  understand  how  he  had  been  so 
blind  as  not  to  see  the  intrigue  going  on  in 
his  own  home. 

The  decree  of  divorce  was  granted,  and 
Leimann  sent  in  his  papers  because,  on  the 
one  hand,  he  was  forced  to  seek  a  more 
lucrative  profession,  and  on  the  other  because 
the  whole  affair  had  so  damaged  his  reputa- 
tion that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  think 
of  remaining  longer  in  the  army.  So  he 
239 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

accepted  a  situation  as  traveller  for  a  wine 
merchant,  a  post  which  provided  him  with 
the  necessary  means  of  livelihood.  He  gave 
up  his  broken  home  and  sent  his  child  to  be 
brought  up  in  a  friend's  family,  his  small 
pension  as  Lieutenant  being  guaranteed  as 
payment. 

Almost  at  the  same  time  as  his  resignation 
was  accepted  the  sentence  on  Borgert  was 
announced.  It  was,  in  all,  five  years'  im- 
prisonment, ten  years'  loss  of  civil  rights,  and 
drumming  out  of  the  army,  the  cause  being 
fraud,  desertion,  and  ill-treatment  of  his  sub- 
ordinates in  ten  proved  cases. 

The  newspapers  pubHshed  the  sentence,  and 

so  his  ingenious  career  came  to  a  close,  in  his 

Fatherland  at  any  rate. 

*  *  * 

In  the  meantime  the  ex-Sergeant  Schmitz 
sat  at  one  of  the  numerous  desks  in  the 
office  of  a  large  factory. 

The  other  employees  had  already  left  their 
places,  and  were  just  about  to  take  their 
coats  from  the  pegs,  for  ten  minutes  ago  the 
bell  that  announced  work  was  over  for  the 
day  had  rung.  But  Schmitz  had  already 
become  accustomed  to  the  conversation  go- 
ing on  around,  and  he  wrote  industriously, 
240 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

quite  lost  in  columns  of  figures  which  were 
written  on  the  paper  before  him. 

The  room  was  now  empty,  and  Schmitz 
was  about  to  begin  a  new  sheet  when  the 
foreman,  Mauer,  entered. 

He  was  a  man  of  square  build,  with  sharp, 
searching  eyes  and  long,  pale  face.  The 
moustache  hung  round  the  corners  of  his 
mouth,  and  the  whole  expression  of  his 
face  was  somewhat  cruel  and  brutal ;  and 
especially  now,  as  he  stood  in  the  dim  Hght 
looking  in  at  the  door,  he  appeared  Hke  a 
wild  beast. 

"  Again  you're  not  done.  Coming  soon  ?  " 
said  he  to  Schmitz,  who,  without  looking  up 
from  his  work,  answered  shortly  : 

"  In  a  moment ;  sit  down  and  wait." 

The  two  men  were  good  friends. 

A  few  weeks  ago  Schmitz  was  among  the 
hands  at  the  lathe,  mechanically  pushing  one 
piece  of  wood  after  another  under  the  sharp 
teeth  of  the  circular  saw.  And  he  could 
have  passed  his  Hfe  doing  the  monotonous 
work  which  gave  him  little  time  to  think. 
For  here  it  was  necessary  to  be  wide  awake 
if  one  did  not  want  to  bemoan  the  loss  of  a 
finger  or  perhaps  a  whole  hand. 

But  it  was  soon  discovered  that  the  reserve 
241  R 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

and  determination  of  this  quiet,  industrious 
man  fitted  him  for  a  wider  sphere  of  action, 
so  after  a  short  time  Schmitz  was  made 
foreman  of  the  machine  shop  in  which  he  had 
till  then  worked. 

The  other  workmen,  it  is  true,  looked  with 
envious  eyes  upon  the  upstart  who  had  only 
just  appeared  upon  the  scene,  and  had 
already  been  put  over  them.  There  was  no 
lack  of  covert  sneers,  but  the  old  soldier  with 
perfect  calm  soon  put  those  in  theii  place 
who  overstepped  the  mark. 

When  all  were  industriously  at  work  in  the 
morning  he  often  went  across  to  Mauer,  who 
was  employed  in  the  machine-shop. 

And  during  these  morning  talks,  Mauer, 
who  was  a  dreaded  Social-Democrat,  soon 
discovered  in  Schmitz  a  man  who  was  easy 
to  win,  a  promising  and  energetic  recruit  if 
he  were  only  properly  handled. 

This  effort  on  the  part  of  Mauer  was  the 
more  successful  because  Schmitz  had  not 
yet  overcome  his  resentment  against  mili- 
tarism and  the  Government  which  was 
responsible  for  it.  A  deep  inward  rage  still 
stirred  him  at  the  injustice  which  had  robbed 
him  of  the  best  years  of  his  life. 

So  he  had  soon  pledged  himself  to  the 
242 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

red  flag,  body  and  soul,  and  out  of  the  faithful 
soldier  had  sprung  a  strenuous  upholder  of 
the  Socialists. 

The  next  day  Schmitz  was  to  make  a 
speech  before  a  large  circle  of  men  of  like 
opinions,  and  this  was  why  Mauer  waited 
for  him,  for  he  wanted  to  talk  over  the  most 
important  points  with  his  friend. 

When  Schmitz  had  finished  his  work  and 
locked  up  in  his  desk  the  sheet  upon  which 
the  list  of  work  for  the  previous  week  had 
been  noted,  he  v/ent  out  with  Mauer,  and  the 
two  wandered  silently  towards  the  narrow 
street  where  the  latter  hved. 

They  took  home  a  can  of  beer  with  them 
from  a  neighbouring  pubHc-house,  Ht  the 
lamp,  and  began  to  discuss  matters. 

It  was  a  question  of  a  new  tariff  Bill 
which  would  fall  as  a  crushing  burden  on 
the  working  class,  and  therefore  it  was 
necessary  to  gain  over  as  much  opposition 
as  possible,  so  that  at  the  last  reading  of  the 
Bill  in  the  Reichstag  an  enormous  majority 
should  prevent  the  carrying  out  of  the  pro- 
position. 

The  two  friends  remained  in  earnest  con- 
versation  till   after   midnight,   and   when   they 

243  R2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

separated  they  were  united  by  a  stronger  tie 
than  before. 

«  «  4: 

The  next  day  found  Schmitz  in  a  state  of 
feverish  unrest.  It  seemed  to  him  that  a 
strange  change  had  taken  place  in  him  since 
he  had  ceased  to  wear  the  King's  uniform. 
A  year  ago  he  was  still  a  soldier  of  the 
Emperor,  a  man  who  had  sworn  to  protect 
his  Fatherland  and  help  its  advance ;  and 
now  ?  One  of  those  who  were  accused  of 
upheaving  the  State  from  its  foundations 
and  creating  a  new  form  of  government  in 
accordance  with  their  own  laws. 

And  yet  the  same  evening  he  proudly 
mounted  the  speaker's  platform,  and  hundreds 
greeted  their  new  and  able  comrade.  Before 
he  had  even  spoken  a  word  there  awoke  in 
him  a  strange  new  sensation,  a  vague  tremen- 
dous desire  to  achieve  some  great  act.  He 
wanted  to  appeal  to  and  carry  with  him  tlie 
assembled  multitude,  to  force  them  into  the 
magic  circle  of  his  thoughts,  that  all  should 
follow  him  passively  as  the  sheep  their 
shepherd.  He  began  his  speech  in  a  firm 
voice.  With  broad  strokes  he  described  fiist 
the  character  of  the  new  law  proposed 
244 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

and    then    the    consequences    to    the    working 
classes. 

A  new  tax  always  meant  another  step 
towards  making  the  poor  poorer.  And  these 
fresh  expenses  would  be  unnecessary  if  there 
were  not  a  continual  increase  of  the  army 
and  changes  in  the  equipments. 

*'  The  State  spends  enormous  sums  every 
year  on  the  army,"  said  he.  "  Scarcely  have 
millions  been  spent  for  the  introduction  of  new 
guns,  or  the  forming  of  a  new  regiment,  when 
these  changes  soon  prove  to  be  behind  the 
times,  and  new  sums  of  an  incredible  amount 
are  demanded  to  make  good  errors  or  pre- 
mature haste.  Germany's  fame  and  place 
among  the  Powers  has  been  won  by  her  army, 
and  it  is  her  army  which  her  neighbours  envy. 
Are  we  not  already  at  the  zenith  of  our  military 
power  ?  Must  we  so  increase  our  army  till  it 
finally  crushes  every  other  organ  of  the  State  ? 

"  Were  only  a  part  of  the  colossal  sums, 
which  the  army  swallows  up  every  year,  used 
for  other  departments  of  the  Empire,  it  would 
not  be  necessary  to  tax  the  citizens  so  out  of 
proportion  to  their  incomes.  Then  we  should 
become  a  rich  country,  the  citizens  would  be 
well  off ;  industry,  reborn  with  a  new  vigour, 
would  advance  by  leaps  and  bounds. 
245 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Should  this  undue  favouritism  shown  to 
the  army  not  decrease,"  continued  Schmitz, 
'*  then  the  necessary  sums  required  to  keep  it 
up  should  be  taken  from  either  the  leisured 
classes  or  from  those  who,  doing  unimportant 
work,  save  millions.  But,  as  it  is,  the  rich  are 
not  more  heavily  burdened  than  the  working 
man  who  gives  up  his  hard- won  bread  to  help 
to  provide  a  capital  in  the  fruits  of  which  he 
never  participates. 

"  For  what  blessing  does  the  army  bring  to 
the  citizens  or  to  the  people  ?  They  bring 
up  sons  only  to  surrender  them  in  the  best 
years  of  youth,  when  the  boy  develops  into  the 
man  and  his  character  ripens,  only  too  often  to 
be  treated  with  injustice  and  brutality,  and  to 
be  returned  to  ordinary  life  as  bitter  opponents 
of  the  Government  or  as  cripples.  Though 
a  man  may  have  sacrificed  to  the  State  the 
best  years  of  his  working  life  and  health,  he 
may  be  discharged  for  a  trifle,  and,  Hke  a  cast- 
off  dog,  must  seek  a  new  master  to  gain  his 
bread  in  the  struggle  for  existence. 

**  For  this  reason  let  us  try  to  force  the 
Government  to  employ  the  money  which 
they  spend  so  uselessly,  for  some  better  aim, 
so  that  the  people  may  be  rewarded  for  the 
sacrifices  they  make  !  " 

246 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

The  words  of  the  speaker,  thinking  as  he 
did  of  his  own  bitter  experiences,  were  greeted 
with  frequent  applause,  and  as  Schmitz  left 
the  platform  the  enthusiastic  crowd  tumult- 
uously  greeted  the  man  who  had  found  the 
right   means   to   lessen   their   burdens. 

So  convincing  had  his  words  sounded  that 
many  who  had  not  yet  decided  which  party 
they  should  join,  unconditionally  followed  the 
man  whose  words  had  moved  them  so  deeply 
that  evening,  and  so  Schmitz  in  an  instant 
became  one  of  the  ablest  adherents  of  the 
Red  Party,  whose  power  in  the  great 
manufacturing  town  was  continually  on  the 
increase. 


247 


Chapter  VII 


SERGEANT-MAJOR  KROHN,  the 
clerk  of  the  regiment,  stood  leaning 
against  the  iron  grating  of  the  staff 
office. 

He  was  comfortably  smoking  a  morning 
cigar  and  reading  the  Deutsche  Zeitung,  which 
the  postman  had  just  dehvered  for  the 
Colonel.  There  was  no  especial  haste  about 
work,  for  the  Colonel  had  ridden  out 
to  the  manoeuvres,  and  on  such  days  the 
Adjutant  always  made  up  for  lost  hours  of 
sleep. 

Krohn  was  just  deep  in  reading  the  ad- 
vertisements when  Sergeant-Major  Schone- 
mann  entered,  a  cigarette  between  his  lips 
and  his  sword  dangling  at  his  heels. 

"  Morning,  Herr  Commandeur,"  said  Krohn 
jokingly.  "  What's  the  news  ?  Are  the  smiths 
at   work   yet  ?  " 

"No,"  answered  Schonemann  ;  "  the  smiths 
are  still  on  the  way  and  no  lead  has  come  by 
post.  But  have  you  heard  the  latest  ?  Fd 
almost  forgotten." 

"  No  ;    have  they  decorated  me  ?  " 
248 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Not  exactly  that,  but  Konig  is  under 
arrest." 

"  What  ?  Konig  ?  Donnerwetter !  What's 
he   been   up    to  ?  " 

"  Oh,  they  say  he's  dipped  his  fist  in  the 
squadron  cash-box.  Such  a  rich  fellow  needn't 
have  done  that." 

"  The  devil  he  has  !  But  I  shouldn't  have 
thought  it,  especially  of  him.  How  did  it 
come  out  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  an  idea.  It  must  have  got  to 
the  Colonel.  He  sent  for  him  yesterday  and 
told  him  the  whole  story.  I  was  looking 
through  the  keyhole  and  saw  the  poor  fellow 
turn  pale.  He  at  once  wanted  to  fetch  the 
account  books,  but  the  Colonel  wouldn't  let 
him  go,  and  had  him  put  under  arrest." 

"  But  they  were  always  such  good 
friends." 

"  Of  course  !  There  must  be  something  in 
the  story  or  the  Colonel  wouldn't  have  acted 
so,  especially  as  he's  in  a  tight  box  himself. 
This  scandal  will  finish  him." 

"  I  won't  believe  it  till  I  see  it  in  black  and 
white.  Konig  wouldn't  do  such  a  thing.  The 
Colonel's  always  after  something  or  other  and 
is  glad  if  he  can  go  for  a  man.  He  considers 
that  smart." 

249 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Well,  we  shall  see." 

♦  *  * 

Lieutenant  Borgert  had  considered  it  his 
last  duty  to  pay  out  Captain  Konig  for  the 
letter  which  he  had  written  refusing  the  loan 
for  which  Borgert  had  asked.  The  transaction 
which  he  knew  of  seemed  to  him  a  fitting 
tool  for  revenge,  and  so  he  had  taken  care  by 
occasional  remarks  among  his  comrades  to 
spread  the  report  more  and  more.  At  last 
the  gossip  and  talk  had  reached  such  a  pitch 
that  there  was  nothing  left  but  to  investigate 
the   matter. 

But  Konig  had  found  no  chance  to  clear 
himself  of  the  terrible  suspicion,  for  not  a 
word  was  uttered  before  him.  Borgert  had 
succeeded  in  rousing  a  general  feeling  of  dis- 
hke  against  the  man  who  had  been  so  popular. 
And  as  the  latter  answered  this  only  with 
quiet  reserve,  no  sympathy  was  shown  for  him, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  everybody  was  secretly 
glad  that  there  was  another  scapegoat. 

Lieutenant  Bleibtreu  would  perhaps  have 
told  his  superior  officer  in  good  time  of  the 
gossip,  but  he  happened  to  be  away  on  leave 
and  did  not  correspond  with  his  contem- 
poraries, and  only  learnt  of  the  story  from 
Konig  himself. 

250 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Konig  had  been  let  out  on  a  substantial  bail, 
and  so,  although  suspended  from  his  duties,  he 
could  await  the  result  in  his  own  home.  At 
first  he  was  almost  beside  himself.  After  fifteen 
years'  reproachless  service  to  be  accused  of  a 
mean  and  paltry  crime  on  the  word  of  a  morally 
degraded  man,  the  laughing-stock  of  every- 
body, and,  to  boot,  a  man  who  owed  him 
gratitude  ! 

Where  was  the  trust,  the  good  comradeship, 
which  had  always  been  shown  him  ?  Was  it 
not  the  duty  of  his  superiors  to  investigate  facts, 
which  in  his  circumstances  were  most  unlikely, 
before  he  was  actually  accused,  a  course  likely 
to  ruin  his  reputation  both  in  the  regiment 
and  in  the  town  ? 

His  arrest  had  caused  all  kinds  of  extrava- 
gant reports  and  scandals,  so  much  so  that  he 
was  now  looked  upon  as  a  criminal,  an  outcast, 
and  he  and  his  family  were  already  objects  of 
scorn. 

Only  Bleibtreu  was  convinced  of  his 
friend's  innocence  ;  he  knew  him  too  well  to 
be  able  to  beheve  for  a  moment  that  he  was 
guilty.  He  showed  this  by  daily  visiting 
Konig  in  his  home  without  concealment 
and  spending  the  evening  in  the  family 
circle. 

251 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

He  joined  him  in  his  lonely  walks,  even 
persevering  in  this  after  having  been  warned 
against  Konig  by  his  comrades,  who  showed 
their  resentment  by  taking  up  a  distinctly 
hostile  position  with  regard  to  him. 

However,  all  this  enmity  did  not  succeed  in 
weakening  him ;  he  would  have  considered 
it  cowardly  and  base  to  desert  a  friend  in 
misfortune,  who  had  been  good  to  him  in 
better  days. 

Gradually  the  whole  regiment,  especially 
the  privates,  became  indignant  at  the  manner 
in  which  a  favourite  officer  was  plunged  into 
misfortune,  and  this  feeling  was  expressed 
by  frequent  visits  of  his  subordinates  to  the 
Captain.  Even  the  civilians,  who  had  entirely 
withdrawn  from  the  society  of  the  Colonel, 
and  that  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  regiment, 
were  filled  with  disgust  and  repugnance  at 
this  disgraceful  state  of  affairs,  and  manifested 
their  sympathy  for  Konig  in  an  unmistakable 
way. 

Owing  to  these  circumstances  Konig 
gradually  looked  more  hopefully  at  the 
future.  He  comforted  himself  with  the 
thought  that  justice  would  prevail  and  the 
day  must  come  when  he  would  reckon  up 
with  those  who  had  dared  to  assail  his 
252 


LIFE   IN   A  GARRISON  TOWN 

honour.  But  he  had  to  undergo  a  severe 
trial  of  patience. 

Had  the  case  been  such  as  to  excite  public 
comment,  and  had  the  issue  roused  the 
feeling  and  curiosity  of  the  multitude — murder, 
ill-treatment,  or  some  such  momentous  crime 
— there  would  have  been  a  great  haste  to 
appease  public  opinion  by  quickly  arriving  at  a 
verdict. 

But  here  there  seemed  to  be  no  haste — the 
accused  had  to  wait  patiently  till  time  could 
be  found  for  his  case.  What  did  it  matter 
how  long  he  remained  in  uncertainty,  thus 
giving  rich  food  for  gossip  among  the  evil- 
disposed  ? 

So  only  after  six  weeks  did  the  first  hear- 
ing take  place  in  which  Konig  was  given  an 
opportunity  to  explain  the  whole  affair  and  to 
prove  his  innocence. 

But  he  was  mistaken  if  he  had  hoped  that 
this  would  end  the  trial.  For  now  the  books 
for  the  last  three  years  were  ordered  to  be 
examined,  and  for  this  purpose  the  Court 
required   three   whole   months. 

On  the  principal  count  of  the  indictment 
he  was  found  "  not  guilty."  It  was  proved 
that  the  regiment's  cash  had  not  been  mis- 
appropriated, but  that  he  had  pretended  to 
253 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

do  so  in  order  to  prove  the  difficulties  of 
getting  money,  and  so  to  put  an  end  to 
further  attempts  at  borrowing. 

Konig  himself  had  thought  any  other 
verdict  impossible.  But  among  the  circle  of 
his  comrades  it  was  received  with  rage  and 
disappointment,  and  on  the  other  hand  with 
satisfaction  and  pleasure  by  all  those  who 
liked  Konig  and  his  family,  and  who  had 
doubted  the  truth  of  the  charge  from  the 
very   outset. 

When  four  months  later  the  verdict  was 
confirmed,  he  was  arraigned  anew  before  the 
Court  of  Honour  which  was  to  re-open  the 
whole  affair  and  to  submit  the  case  again  to 
examination  to  see  if  in  any  point  Konig  had 
violated  the  rules  of  conduct  befitting  an 
officer,  and,  if  so,  he  would  be  liable  to 
punishment    from   that   tribunal. 

As  now  an  unfavourable  result  was  no 
longer  to  be  feared,  Konig,  after  considera- 
tion, was  convinced  that  even  if  he  were 
punished  at  all,  only  the  minimum  penalty 
could  be  inflicted,  which  would  leave  no  evil 
effects. 

This  time  the  Captain  looked  upon  as  an 
hour  of  trial  ordained  by  fate — a  time  of 
uncertainty  and  doubt,  but  he  felt  quite  cheer- 
254 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

ful  in  his  enforced  retirement  after  he  was 
once  accustomed  to  it. 

When  with  his  family,  Konig  overcame 
the  depression  which  often  seized  him,  and  he 
spent  the  day  in  his  favourite  occupation  of 
playing  the  piano  or  in  other  like  amuse- 
ments. 

Frau  Clara  had  survived  the  trying  period 
with  admirable  energy  and  courage :  once 
the  most  popular  lady  of  the  regiment, 
honoured  and  esteemed  by  all,  and  now  the 
wife  of  the  man  at  whom  all  fingers  were 
pointed  as  if  he  were  a  rogue — a  disaster 
which  might  well  have  humbled  a  proud 
woman's  soul  to  the  dust. 

Yet  it  was  she  who  brought  sunshine  into 
the  depressed  atmosphere,  who  often  dispelled 
the  clouds  of  sorrow  and  despair  with  a 
simulated  gaiety. 

Even  Bleibtreu  in  the  company  of  this 
charming  woman  regained  his  good-humour 
whenever  he  lost  courage  in  this  maze  of 
back-biting   and   infamy. 

One  day  when  particularly  depressed  he 
came  to  see  Konig.  He  took  his  place 
silently  at  the  supper  table,  and  even  Frau 
Konig's  Uvely  chatter  was  not  able  to  dispel 
the  cloud  which  hung  over  him. 

255 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Only  when  the  little  son  of  the  house  was 
put  to  bed,  and  they  were  sitting  round  the 
table  in  Konig's  den,  did  the  Captain  slap  him 
on  the  shoulder  and  say  with  a  laugh  : 

"  Why  do  you  pull  such  a  long  face  ?  Has 
something   gone   wrong   at   home  ?  " 

A  mournful  smile  appeared  on  Bleibtreu*s 
lips,  but  he  answered  nothing. 

"  But  do  tell  me,  man,  what  is  the  matter 
with   you,"   the   Captain   repeated. 

"  My  request  to  be  transferred  has  been 
refused  to-day,"  replied  the  young  officer  in  a 
depressed  voice. 

Konig  did  not  answer ;  his  wife  also  re- 
mained silent  and  only  looked  with  sympathy  at 
her  friend. 

"  And  what  do  you  think  of  doing  now  ?  " 
asked  the  Captain  after  a  short  pause. 

"  I  have  sent  in  my  resignation  to-day." 

For  a  moment  husband  and  wife  looked 
startled  at  the  speaker,  but  then  Konig 
stretched  out  his  hand  to  his  friend,   saying  : 

"  You  have  done  the  right  thing !  It  is 
true  I  pity  you  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart. 
You  must  now  choose  a  new  profession, 
but  you  are  young  and  you  have  still  many 
years  before  you.  I  understand  the  motives 
which  have  influenced  you  to  this  step.  As 
256 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

a  young  officer  you  have  experienced  what 
in  my  old  days  touches  me  no  less,  and 
I  can  understand  that  you  have  lost  all 
respect  for  the  profession  which  has  been 
yours  till  now.  I  could  have  wished  you  to 
have  learnt  your  lesson  in  another  garrison 
under  different  conditions  and  among  different 
people.  There  are  still  officers  with  whom 
one  can  live  and  enjoy  life.  As  this  has 
been  denied  to  you,  it  is  best  for  you  to  turn 
your  back  on  a  soldier's  career.  I  should 
have  given  you  this  advice  sooner  had  I  not 
been  afraid  of  urging  you  to  a  step  which 
perhaps  later  you  would  have  repented.  To 
show  that  I  speak  from  conviction,  I  will 
tell  you  that  I  also  think  of  resigning." 

This   time  it   was   Bleibtreu   who   stared   at 
the  Captain  with  wide-open  eyes. 

**  But  why  ?  "  he  asked,  astonished.      "  For 
you  at  least  will  be  transferred." 

"  Certainly  I  shall  be  transferred,  but  with 
me  it  is  as  with  you.  I  have  lost  all  respect 
for  the  profession  I  have  filled  with  honour 
for  fifteen  years.  It  is  true  that  my  first  experi- 
ences were  much  better,  but  that  such  things 
can  happen  as  have  happened  among  our  own 
officers  has  shown  me  that  I  am  out  of  place 
here.  Who  can  promise  that  similar  things 
257  s 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

will  not  happen  to  me  in  another  garrison  ? 
Besides,  I  can  distinctly  foresee  that  I  shall 
not  be  transferred  to  an  important  centre." 

"  And  why  not  ?  "  asked  Bleibtreu. 

*'  Semper  aliquid  haeret,  my  friend — some 
mud  always  sticks  ;  besides,  I  am  still  to  be 
punished  by  the  Court  of  Honour,  which 
means  an  inferior  garrison." 

"  That  is  possible,"  assented  Bleibtreu. 

"  Do  you  know  I've  lived  in  this  miserable 
hole  for  nine  years  ?  I  have  become  a  regular 
peasant.  It's  the  truth,  though  you  may 
laugh.  If  one  never  associates  with  other 
people — ^the  few  days'  leave  are  of  no  account 
— one  hardly  knows  how  to  behave,  and 
becomes  accustomed  to  bad  form  and  careless 
habits  which  would  disgust  our  friends  in 
Berlin  or  Hanover.  The  casino,  which  we 
have  gradually  found  natural  and  normal 
enough  here,  would  be  quite  impossible  in 
another  garrison,  because  people  there  have 
more  intercourse  with  each  other,  and  see 
new  faces  every  day,  and  so  are  obliged  to 
be  careful  of  their  manners.  But  let  these 
people  live  together  the  whole  year,  alone, 
isolated,  then  manners  will  grow  more 
careless,  and  by  degrees  one  becomes  a  kind 
of  drawing-room  cad." 

258 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  That  is  quite  natural,  Captain.  Here  we 
live  together  as  in  a  dovecot,  and  of  course 
no  one  has  anything  better  to  do  than  to  pry 
into  his  neighbour's  affairs,  and  to  meddle 
with  everything  he  does  simply  because  he 
has  no  other  occupation,  for  the  sufficient 
reason  that  there  is  nothing  for  him  to  do  in 
such  a  small  garrison :  and  besides,  this  is 
the  cause  of  these  eternal  scandals,  for  to 
these  out-of-the-way  holes  are  sent  those 
undesirable  elements  which  cannot  be  em- 
ployed in  more  respectable  garrisons,  and 
for  which  there  is  no  other  riddance.  Every 
day  one  hears :  penalty,  transference  to 
Morchengen,  Lyck,  or  whatever  the  names  of 
the  hateful  places  are." 

"  Quite  right,"  Konig  answered  warmly. 
"  Whoever  has  done  wrong  somewhere  else 
is  generally  sent  to  a  frontier  garrison  in 
order  to  render  him  harmless.  They  never 
consider  that  these  objectionable  units  so 
collected  together  may  be  the  cause  of  more 
evil  than  if  they  lived  among  at  least  a  Uke 
number  of  worthy  and  irreproachable  com- 
rades. Nearly  all  the  scandalous  stories  told 
of  officers  happened  on  the  frontiers  in  such 
forsaken  holes  as  are  only  known  because 
they  are  marked  on  the  large  maps.      If  the 

259  S2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

officers  were  at  least  allowed  to  go  their  own 
way  !  But  no,  they  are  almost  forced  to  live 
at  the  casino — other  relaxations  which  larger 
towns  offer  in  plenty  do  not  exist ;  and  who 
would  wish  to  spend  every  evening  at  the 
ale-house,  drinking  the  same  beer,  forever 
listening  to  the  drivel  of  the  same  people, 
whose  eternal  subject  is  always  the  same  old 
tiresome  town  scandals  ?  One  cannot  stand 
it  for  ever,  and  other  ale-houses  are  forbidden, 
being  too  much  patronised  by  the  riff-raff. 
So  one  goes  to  the  casino  and  drinks  out  of 
pure  weariness  till  one  has  had  quite  enough, 
and  so  the  notorious  scandals  begin.  Friction 
must  be  the  result  of  this  constant  herding 
together,  for,  after  all,  these  are  all  men  of 
different  minds,  manners  and  education.  In 
a  large  garrison  one  only  goes  to  the  casino 
if  there  is  a  definite  purpose,  for  there  are 
other  means  of  driving  dulness  away  than 
by  immoderate  drinking.  But  if  a  man  is  also 
given  to  running  after  women  there  is  the 
devil  to  pay.  Here  you  have  the  best 
example.  In  a  large  town  there  are  enough 
women  to  satisfy  him,  but  there  being  none 
here  he  makes  up  instead  to  the  wives  of 
his  comrades." 

"  But  these  small  frontier  garrisons,  nearly 
260 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

all  of  such  great  importance,  require  to  be 
officered,"  Bleibtreu  interposed. 

"  Of  course,"  Konig  replied  earnestly  ;  "  nor 
should  they  send  such  inferior  officers  ;  rather 
should  they  send  here  men  of  unfailing 
principles  and  spotless  record.  Especially 
so  if  these  frontier  garrisons  are  of  such  vast 
importance,  for  these  empty-headed  topers 
rarely  become  useful  officers  when  a  sudden 
emergency  makes  higher  demands  on  their 
abilities.  But  every  man  looks  upon  it  as  a 
special  punishment,  or  at  least  ill-luck  if  he 
is  sent  to  the  frontier,  and  that  often  destroys 
his  entire  pleasure  in  playing  the  soldier. 
He  moves  Heaven  and  Hell  to  be  transferred 
to  a  better  post.  An  officer  of  the  Guards, 
or  one  in  a  crack  regiment,  passes  the 
whole  of  his  time  of  service  in  a  great 
city,  happy,  glorious  and  victorious.  But 
why  are  such  as  we  left  to  languish  away 
the  best  years  of  our  life  in  such  a  God- 
forsaken   hole  ?  " 

"  Possibly  on  account  of  the  cost  of 
numerous  transfers,  which  would  mean  a 
yearly  increased  demand  on  the  revenue," 
said  Bleibtreu. 

"  That  is  no  reason ;  if  they  were  in 
earnest  it  would  be  done.  Every  year  hundreds 
261 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

of  officers  stream  into  Berlin  to  take  tem- 
porary command.  This  over,  each  one  could 
be  sent  to  another  garrison,  and  that  would 
not  cost  more  than  to  send  him  back  to 
his  old  regiment.  Other  officers  would  then 
come  to  Berlin,  and  these  again  be  sent  to 
other  garrisons.  So  there  would  be  an  even 
interchange  of  officers.  Regiment  X,  which 
has  sent  an  officer  to  be  trained  in  Berlin, 
gets  a  fully-trained  one  in  return,  who  before 
was  attached  to  a  regiment  in  Y.  Besides 
these  regular  changes  every  year  there  might 
be  supplementary  ones  for  which  some 
economy  in  another  department  could  be 
made  to  pay. 

"  Instead  of  which  the  officers  of  the  fron- 
tier garrison  regiments — ^there  being,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  cadets,  no  new  fund  of 
young  officers  to  draw  from — are  recruited 
from  blackguards  and  such-Hke  who  have 
made  themselves  impossible  in  other  garri- 
sons, and  of  course  not  including  such  superior 
officers  who  regard  a  frontier  regiment  as  a 
distinction,  because  they  are  then  near  the 
enemy,  and,  when  the  occasion  offers,  get 
the  first  chance. 

"  But  even  this  is  only  an  illusion.  These 
days,  when  the  prospects  of  war  are  continu- 
262 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

ally  becoming  less,  the  advantage  of  being  close 
to  the  enemy  is  only  theoretical. 

"  According  to  the  present  system  it 
should  be  a  principle  not  to  leave  any 
officer  more  than  two  years,  or,  at  most, 
three,  in  a  frontier  garrison.  Then  would 
the  army  be  saved  from  much  harm  in  re- 
spect both  of  its  efficiency  and  its  reputation. 
Besides,  it  would  put  an  end  in  the  world  to 
a    crying   injustice." 

Bleibtreu  nodded  acquiescence,  and  when 
Konig   had   finished,   he   said : 

"  I  agree  with  you  in  everything.  Captain. 
But  in  spite  of  this  you  should  try  another 
garrison,  for,  in  your  place,  after  so  many 
years  of  service,  I  would  at  least  hold  out 
till  I  could  become  Captain  of  the  First 
Class.  That  will  only  be  two  or  three 
years  more,  and  then  you  will  have  the 
rignt  to  a  much  larger  pension.  Should 
the  new  garrison  not  be  to  your  taste,  why, 
there  will  still  be  ample  time  to  send  in 
your  resignation." 

"  Certainly — you  are  right.  But  I  have 
already  told  you  that  I  have  lost  all  pleasure 
in  my  profession.  I  have  laboured  and  striven 
for  fifteen  years.  I  have  always  done  my 
duty  to  the  satisfaction  of  my  superiors.*  and 
263 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

received  many  distinctions.  Now  that  I 
have  been  crippled  in  the  running  another 
is  at  once  appointed  to  my  place.  Nobody 
cares  about  the  results  of  my  previous  work ; 
the  machine  goes  on  as  if  I  had  never  existed. 
And  if  one  can  see  no  lasting  success  for  the 
work  of  one's  life  it  is  so  crushing,  so  morti- 
fying !  The  able  physician,  the  merchant,  the 
lawyer  would  each  be  missed  should  he  leave 
the  scene  of  his  activity,  but  nobody  cares 
for  us  unless  one  happens  to  be  a  great 
general.  As  I  can  never  again  perform  my 
duties  with  heartfelt  pleasure  and  devotion, 
I  prefer  to  go." 

He  *  ♦ 

The  decision  of  the  Court  of  Honour  was 
"  Admonition  for  imperilhng  the  standard 
of  conduct  befitting  an  officer."  A  further 
explanation  was  added  that  no  officer  has  a 
right  to  put  himself  in  a  position  where  he 
is  liable  to  be  misjudged  by  the  world.  As 
this,  however,  had  happened  in  the  present 
instance,  it  was  necessary  that  it  should 
be  made  clear  to  Captain  Konig  that  his 
conduct  was  both  incorrect  and  prejudicial 
to  his  honour  as  an  officer.  Konig  read 
the  official  document  with  a  cynical  smile, 
264 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 


and     the     same     evening     he     sent     in     his 

resignation. 

He  «  * 

A  few  weeks  before  this  the  Colonel  had 
also  received  a  document,  but  from  "  above," 
and  it  was  in  a  blue  envelope.  In  it  was 
intimated  that,  although  his  excellent  services 
were  acknowledged  and  valued,  there  was 
now  no  longer  need  for  them.  Hence  no 
opposition  was  made  when  the  Colonel  ex- 
pressed a  wish  to  resign  on  the  plea  that  he 
could  no  longer  bear  the  fatigues  of  His 
Majesty's  service. 

One  day  a  yellow  furniture  van  drew  up 
before  the  beautiful  house  at  the  end  of  the 
town,  and  everything  was  packed  into  it  which 
was  worth  taking. 

As  for  the  Colonel,  he  and  his  family  went 
quite  modestly  to  the  railway-station,  where 
there  was  no  one  to  greet  them  but  the 
man-servant,  who  was  ordered  to  see  to 
the  luggage.  At  the  last  moment,  how- 
ever, the  nursemaid  rushed  up,  out  of 
breath,  and  clamoured  for  her  last  month's 
wages. 

A  shrill  whistle,  and  the  express  train  bore 
away  a  man  who,  with  a  mournful  smile, 
allowed  his  eyes  to  wander  over  the  roofs 
265 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

of  the  town  which  had  been  so  blessed  as 
to  be  the  scene  of  five  years  of  his  strenuous 
activity. 

Bleibtreu  and  Konig  went  away  the  same 
week,  and  with  their  departure  the  army  lost 
two  valuable  soldiers  and  devoted  adherents. 


266 


Chapter  VIII 


IT  was  after  eight  o'clock  on  a  December 
evening.  The  shops  and  business  houses 
were  being  noisily  closed ;  on  all  sides 
could  be  heard  the  rattling  of  shut- 
ters as  they  fell  and  darkened  the  bril- 
Hantly-lighted  shop  windows.  The  asphalt 
seemed  to  be  a  moving  mass  of  silent  and 
hurrying  people.  Hurrying  and  scurrying 
they  passed  as  if  each  one  of  them  had  to 
make  up  for  lost  time  or  lost  opportunity ; 
elegant  women,  men  in  their  working 
clothes,  others  fashionably  dressed,  while 
an  endless  swarm  of  young  girls  poured  out 
of  the  shops  and  business  houses,  mingling 
with  those  who  strolled  idly  along  in  an 
obtrusive  cloud  of  cheap  perfume  and  with 
a  liberal  display  of  silk  petticoats.  Cabs  and 
omnibuses  tore  along  in  endless  succession, 
bearing  to  their  destination  smart  couples, 
veiled  ladies,  stockbrokers,  merchant  princes 
and  travellers,  in  fact,  all  who  wished  to 
avoid  the  dust  of  the  rabble  or  who  were 
in  a  desperate  hurry.  Intermingled  could  be 
heaxd  the  shrill  hootings  of  the  motor  or  the 
267 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

ring  of  the  omnibus  bells,  while  smart  car- 
riages rolled  noiselessly  over  the  asphalt, 
and  by  the  light  of  a  shop  window  or  a  street 
lamp  an  occasional  glance  could  penetrate 
into  their  dim  interiors.  The  turmoil  of  a 
great  city's  streets,  the  myriad  crowds,  the 
hurry  and  scurry,  all  bore  the  stamp  of 
enormous  effort  and  activity  ;  it  was  like  an 
ant-hill  in  which  each  tiny  insect  performs 
its  unwearied  duty,  and  seeks,  with  restless 
industry,  to  labour  only  for  the  common 
good. 

A  well-dressed,  handsome  couple  turned 
the  corner  into  a  badly-lighted  side  street, 
and  made  their  way  across  the  dirty  road 
between  the  countless  coster  carts  and 
waggons. 

They  stopped  before  a  modest  house  and 
ascended  the  worn-out  stone  steps.  The 
porter  looked  out  of  his  lodge  as  they  passed 
and  favoured  them  with  a  very  abrupt  greeting. 
The  pair  had  moved  over  from  Hotel  Monopole, 
and  had  been  the  subject  of  a  good  deal  of 
speculation  on  his  part. 

They      were      ex-Lieutenant      Borgert      and 

Frau    Leimann.      They   had    made   their   way 

to    London,    hoping    to    be    free    there    from 

pursuit,    and    to    gain    a    hvehhood    in    the 

268 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

immense  city  which  provided  daily  bread  for 
its  countless  millions. 

Their  money  had  soon  vanished,  for  those 
who  cannot  reckon  in  the  days  of  plenty  can 
neither  reckon  in  the  days  of  distress.  And 
so  Eorgert  had  been  obliged  to  seek  employ- 
ment to  save  them  from  hunger,  hard  though 
it  was  for  the  pampered,  dissolute  man,  bred 
in  idleness,  to  force  himself  to  work.  But 
he  had  already  been  dismissed  by  two  busi- 
ness houses,  and  he  had  just  returned  from 
an  unsuccessful  search  for  work. 

In  despair  he  threw  himself  on  the  narrow 
sofa  and  covered  his  face  with  his  hands, 
while  Frau  Leimann  crouched  in  a  small 
chair   before    the   fire. 

With  dull  eyes  she  watched  the  dying 
embers  ;  the  coals  that  now  threw  their 
warmth  into  the  sordid  room  were  their  last. 
Neither  spoke  a  word,  and  when  Borgert 
at  length  broke  the  silence  the  woman 
started  up  in  fear  as  if  from  some  terrible 
dream. 

"  What  will  become  of  us  ?  "  he  said  softly. 

Frau  Leimann  did  not  answer,  but  looked 
silently  again  into  the  fire,  and  there  were 
tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  Unless  we  can  pay  we  shall  be  turned 
269 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

out   of  this   house   to-morrow ;    after   that   we 
shall  have  to  sleep  in  the  street." 

"  You  must  work,  George,"  the  woman 
replied,  her  voice  choked  with  tears,  and  she 
tried  to  infuse  some  energy  into  the  tones  of 
her   voice. 

"  Haven't  I  tried  ?  "  answered  he,  shrugging 
his  shoulders.  "  Haven't  I  been  turned  out 
every  time  ?  And  there  is  no  good  in  my 
trying  anything  again.  I  can't  work,  for  I 
have   never  learned   how." 

**  But  something  must  be  done  !  We  must 
find  a  way  out  of  this  !  "  she  cried  in  despair. 
"  If  you  mean  to  desert  me  now,  you  should 
not  have  lured  me  to  my  destruction." 

*'  I  lured  you  ?  "  asked  Borgert  with  a 
sneer.  "  Who  lured  you  ?  Was  it  not 
you  who  begged  to  go  with  me  because 
you  couldn't  stand  your  noble  husband  any 
longer  ?  " 

"If  it  was  so,  you,  as  a  man,  should  have 
had  sense  enough  to  dissuade  me  from  my 
folly." 

"  Oh,  you  women  !  Can  anybody  dissuade 
you  when  you  have  once  got  a  notion  fixed 
in  your  head  ?  Now  I  have  to  bear  the 
blame  alone.  You  women,  of  course,  are 
never  to  blame." 

270 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

"  Don't  revile  me,  George.  Pull  yourself 
together  and  consider  what  can  be  done  now. 
Help  must  come  from  somewhere." 

"  Here  is  help  !  "  replied  Borgert,  and  threw 
a  small  revolver  on  the  table. 

The  woman  shuddered,  and  for  a  moment 
she  leant  back  against  the  wall,  half-fainting, 
while  her  terror-stricken  eyes  stared  at  the 
little  weapon,  on  the  metal  barrel  of  which 
the  flames  from  the  fire  glinted. 

"  For  God's  sake,"  she  stammered  breath- 
lessly— "  are   you   mad  ?  " 

"On  the  contrary,"  he  answered  coolly ; 
''it  is  the  only  way.  This  is  not  the  first 
time  I've  thought  of  it.  Is  it  not  better  to 
end  at  once  this  beggar's  existence,  this  dog's 
Hfe,  rather  than  perhaps  to  drag  out  Hfe  in 
misery  and  doubt  ?  " 

Frau  Leimann,  immersed  in  thought, 
approached  nearer  to  the  dying  embers  as 
if  their  beneficent  warmth  had  the  power  to 
wake  to  new  life  the  frozen  blood  in  her  veins. 
Her  eyes  were  set  in  a  blank  stare  on  a 
faded  print  which  hung  over  the  mantelpiece 
representing  a  banquet  of  some  old  English 
king.  As  if  stunned  she  looked  with  vacant 
eyes  at  the  picture,  which  so  vividly  depicted 
the  joy  of  Uving.  She  did  not  perceive 
271 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

that  Borgert  had  stolen  noiselessly  behind 
her. 

There  was  a  shot,  and  with  a  scream  she 
fell  to  the  ground.  Her  left  arm  was 
stretched  out  to  the  fire  as  if  seeking  aid, 
and  the  light  of  the  flickering  little  flames 
played  about  the  white  hand  from  which  life 
was  slowly  ebbing. 

For  a  moment  the  murderer  stared  bewil- 
dered at  the  dead  woman,  then  he  turned  the 
weapon  on  himself  and,  with  a  second  shot, 
put  an  end  to  his  Hfe,  thus  expiating  the 
many  sins  which  had  proved  his  undoing. 

Four  days  after,  in  a  lonely  churchyard  on 
the  banks  of  the  Thames,  all  that  was  mortal 
of  these  two  was  laid  to  rest.  Nobody 
suspected  who  they  were,  nobody  guessed 
the  tragedy  and  sins  of  their  lives  now  atoned 
for  in  death. 


272 


APPENDIX 

SOME     EXTRACTS     FROM     THE     COURT-MARTIAL 
PROCEEDINGS       AGAINST       LIEUTENANT       BILSE 


SOME  EXTRACTS  FROM 
THE  COURT  -  MARTIAL 
PROCEEDINGS  AGAINST 
LIEUTENANT     BILSE. 

THE  following  extracts  from  the  pro- 
ceedings  of  the   court-martial,   and 
some  of  the  testimony  of  the  prin- 
cipal witnesses,  with  the  names  of 
the  officers  described,  may  be  of  interest. 

The  trial  took  place  in  Metz  from  the  9th 
to  the  13th  of  November,  1903.  The  scene 
of  the  court-martial  was  a  rather  small  room, 
hardly  accommodating  twenty  persons.  Ten 
of  these  were  German  and  French  newspaper 
reporters,  and  the  rest  were  the  high  officers 
constituting  the  court-martial,  including  the 
president,  the  prosecuting  counsel,  and  the 
counsel  for  the  defence,  and  also  the  General 
Commandant  of  Metz. 

Just  before  the  opening  of  the  court- 
martial  the  accused  was  brought  in.  He 
was  in  uniform,  but  without  his  sword.  He 
is  a  good-looking,  slender,  fair-haired  young 
fellow,  with  a  blonde  moustache,  and  he 
wears      eye-glasses.       His      appearance      was 

275  T  2 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

very  attractive,  and  his  manners  quiet  and 
dignified. 

Before  the  hearing  of  the  witnesses,  one 
day's  session  was  entirely  occupied  in  the 
reading  of  the  novel  in  question. 

In  the  novel  Lieutenant  Bilse  is  supposed 
to  have  described  himself  in  the  character  of 
Lieutenant  Bleibtreu. 

In  the  course  of  his  examination  he  said 
in  regard  to  the  impulse  which  led  him  to 
write  this  book :  "I  entered  the  army,  for  I 
felt  that  to  be  my  vocation,  and  in  the  begin- 
ning I  was  quite  happy.  Later,  when  I  was 
transferred  to  Lorraine,  I  recognised  the 
great  difference  between  life  in  the  frontier 
garrison  towns  and  the  other  garrisons  in  the 
empire.  I  observed  evils  and  abuses  which 
took  away  all  my  illusions.  These  I  noticed 
especially  in  my  garrison  of  Forbach.  There 
have  been  already  innumerable  complaints 
about  the  condition  of  the  frontier  garrison 
towns,  and  so  I  thought  that  another  voice 
raised  in  protest  would  do  no  harm.  It  was 
for  this  reason  that  I  wrote  my  book. 

"  I  had  determined  to  use  my  imagination 

as  far  as  possible,  but  it  is  very  natural  that 

in    a    book    which   is    written    for    a    purpose 

events    should    be    described    that    are    known 

276 


APPENDIX 


to  one  and  characters  with  which  one  is 
familiar.  That  is  probably  what  happens 
to  every  author  if  he  confines  himself  to  his 
own  experience.  So  the  circle  which  I  could 
describe  was  inevitably  small,  as  I  am  still 
very  young.  Naturally  it  was  far  from  my 
intention  to  portray  persons  and  events  in 
Forbach  so  accurately  that  they  should  be 
recognised." 

Questioned  as  to  whether  he  was  aware  of 
the  regulation  which  deals  with  the  Uterary 
activity  of  men  in  military  service,  he  replied 
that  he  knew  it,  but  thought  the  order  only 
applied  to  works  of  a  technical  and  tactical 
description,  and  that  it  had,  therefore,  no 
reference  to  works  of  fiction,  for  which  no 
permission  was  required,  especially  as  many 
officers  these  days  write  novels  without 
permission,  and  are  engaged  in  journaUstic 
work. 

The  hearing  of  the  accused  was  followed 
by  the  testimony  of  the  witnesses.  The  first 
one  examined  was  Pharmacist  Dreesen,  of 
Forbach,  called  to  testify  to  a  charge  of 
cowardice  preferred  against  Major  Fuchs 
(Colonel  von  Kronan  in  the  novel),  the 
commander  of  the  regiment. 
277 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Pres.  You  are  said  to  have  sent  Major 
Fuchs  a  challenge,  out  of  which  he  "  sneaked  " 
and  saved  himself  at  the  expense  of  a 
woman  ? 

Ans.  He  forbade  his  officers  coming  to 
my  house,  and  the  reason  he  gave  was  that 
my  wife  had  made  uncomplimentary  remarks 
about  them.  I  demanded  an  explanation, 
and  was  told  that  a  lady  of  the  regiment  was 
responsible  for  the  gossip.  The  Major 
therefore  withdrew  his  prohibition  and 
informed  the  assembled  officers  that  it  was  a 
mistake,  and  at  the  same  time  he  apologised 
to  me. 

Pres.  Did  you  know  that  the  Major 
punished  such  officers  as  still  visited  you  ? 

Ans.    Yes. 

Pres.  What  did  you  do  on  hearing  of 
this? 

Ans.  1  went  to  a  friend.  Justice  Weber, 
and  asked  him  to  take  my  challenge  to  the 
Major,  but  he  regretted  to  be  unable  to 
serve  me,  as  he  had  himself  invited  the 
Major  to  a  party  the  next  day.  So  I  asked 
Staff- Surgeon  Pollack,  who  went  to  him. 
The  Major  referred  him  to  a  lady,  the  wife 
of  Captain  Ey  of  the  regiment.  When 
Pollack  came  back  and  told  me,  I  said : 
278 


APPENDIX 


*'  Do  not  waste  time ;  if  he  cannot  give  a 
satisfactory  explanation,  challenge  hirai."  So 
Dr.  Pollack  went  back  to  the  Major,  who 
thereupon  went  with  him  to  Frau  Ey 
(Frau  Stark),  who  confessed  that  she  had 
possibly  been  mistaken  in  what  she  had 
repeated. 

Pres.  Did  it  seem  to  you  as  if  Frau  Ey 
was  wiUing  to  take  the  blame  on  herself  to 
protect  the  Major  ? 

Ans.  I  cannot  say ;  it  is  now  three  or  four 
years  ago. 

Pres.  Further,  it  is  said  in  the  novel  that 
the  Major  was  very  unpopular  among  the 
civilians.    Do  you  know  from  experience  ? 

Ans.    Well,   he  was  not  exactly  beloved. 

Pres.    Was  he  cut  ? 

Ans.  No,  not  exactly,  but  he  was  never 
invited. 

Pres.  Did  you  recognise  all  the  characters 
in  the  book  ? 

Ans.  Yes.  The  most  Hfelike  are  Frau 
Ey  and  Major  Fuchs.  All  Forbach  was  full 
of  it ;  even  the  ordinary  day  labourers  had 
read  the  book. 

Major    Fuchs    (Colonel    von    Kronan),    fifty 
years   old,    has   been   at    Forbach   since    1899. 
279 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Obviously  Major  Fuchs  is  identical  with 
Colonel  von  Kronan,  even  to  the  tear  in  his 
eye.  Recognised  himself  in  the  portrait.  In 
regard  to  the  challenge  there  is  no  truth  in  it 
except  that  in  1900  Frau  Ey  repeated  to  him 
what  Frau  Dreesen  had  said,  that  though 
the  officers  were  ready  enough  to  accept 
invitations  from  the  civilians  and  eat  their  fill 
at  their  houses,  they  never  in  return  invited 
these  to  the  regiment's  tennis  club.  He 
considered  it  an  insult  that  the  lady  should 
require  an  equivalent  for  her  hospitality. 
He  therefore  prohibited  his  officers  from 
going  here.  When  this  became  town  talk 
Herr  Dreesen  sent  Dr.  Pollack  for  an 
explanation. 

Pres,  He  is  supposed  to  have  brought  you 
a  challenge  ? 

Ans.  Not  that  I  know  of.  Dr.  Pollack 
and  I  went  to  Frau  Ey  and  she  said  she 
was  possibly  mistaken,  and  so  I  expressed 
my  regrets  and  the  prohibition  was  with- 
drawn. 

Pres.  It  is  affirmed  in  the  novel  that  you 
showed  no  proper  energy  in  dealing  with  the 
criminal  intimacy  between  Lieutenant  Block 
(Kolberg)  and  Frau  Erdler  (Kahle)  which 
was  long  known  to  everybody,  and  you  were 
280 


APPENDIX 


most  incompetent  in  the  conduct  of  the  whole 
affair  ? 

Ans.  I  am  not  aware  of  that.  Erdler  was 
transferred  to  Spandau,  where  he  is  still  cap- 
tain. His  wife  stayed  here  some  time  longer 
in  the  family  of  Lieutenant  Lindner.  One 
day  she  disappeared  and  came  home  very 
late,  and  it  was  found,  the  result  of  a  torn 
letter  pieced  together,  that  she  had  gone  to 
meet  Lieutenant  Block.  The  result  was 
that  Erdler  and  Block  fought,  and  then 
Erdler  got  a  divorce  from  his  wife.  It  is  not 
true  that  Block  was  not  punished,  for  he  was 
transferred  to  the  15th  Battahon  stationed  at 
Strasbourg. 

Pres.  Do  you  know  what  punishment  Block 
received  for  his  criminal  intimacy  that  resulted 
in  this  divorce  ? 

Ans.  As  far  as  I  know  a  reprimand.  For 
the  duel  he  was  sentenced  to  six  months' 
imprisonment. 

Pres.  What  in  regard  to  the  influence  of 
Frau  Ey  over  you  ?  She  is  supposed  to  have 
used  that  power  to  have  her  husband  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  major  ? 

Ans.  My  wife  and  I  associate  with  Frau 
Ey,  but  she  has  no  influence  whatever  over 
me. 

281 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Pres.  It  is  said  that  you  made  her  com- 
plaints the  subject  of  official  discussion,  and 
ordered  your  officers  to  wear  dancing-spurs 
because  her  dress  had  been  torn  at  a  ball, 
and  that  you  also  reprimanded  them  for  not 
kissing  her  hand,  which  was  in  a  dirty  riding 
glove  of  her  husband's  ? 

Ans.  I  remember  the  order,  but  not  that 
Frau  Ey  was  the  cause. 

Pres.  What  about  your  command  that 
your  officers  should  not  again  go  to  Saar- 
briick  ? 

Ans.  I  gave  that  order  because  they 
were  all  running  into  debt  there,  the  married 
ones  as  well  as  the  single,  and  that  even  after 
that  several  had  to  send  in  their  resignations 
because  of  such  debts.  I  wished  to  keep  them 
all  under  control.  The  order  has  now  been 
countermanded. 

Pres.  It  is  said  that  you  insisted  so 
peremptorily  on  the  payment  of  casino  debts, 
that  in  consequence  your  officers  had  to 
borrow  from  usurers,  with  the  result  that  they 
got  into  their  clutches  ? 

Ans.    Some     of     the     gentlemen     owed     as 

much   as   600   to   700   marks,    and   there   were 

debts  to  the  casino  of  2,000  which  had  to  be 

paid  to  keep  it  going.     I  had  often  insisted 

282 


APPENDIX 


on  payment ;  the  demand  was  therefore  not 
unexpected. 

Pres.  It  is  said  you  were  in  the  habit  of 
ordering  such  expensive  bowls  of  punch  at 
the  casino  parties  that  it  caused  the  officers 
great  and  unnecessary  expense  ? 

Ans.  If  it  was  done  it  was  with  the  con- 
sent of  all.  At  any  rate,  as  I  always  use 
cheap  wines,  the  expense  could  not  have 
exceeded  two  marks  per  head. 

Pres.  It  is  said  you  refused  to  give  ex- 
Sergeant   Apel    (Schmitz)    his   sick   pension  ? 

Ans.     I  do  not  remember  that. 

Pres.  It  is  also  said  that  at  a  costume 
festival  of  the  regiment  the  champagne 
flowed  in  streams,  and  you,  dressed  as  a 
Hungarian  magnate,  were  soon  half-seas 
over  ? 

Ans.  The  festival  is  accurately  described 
and  so  are  the  costumes,  with  the  exception 
of  mine.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  drinking, 
but  I  did  not  lose  my  self-control. 

Pres.  Is  it  true  that  Frau  Ey  was  in  the 
habit  of  bullying  the  non-commissioned 
officers,  and  that  she  was  on  very  bad  terms 
with  her  husband  ? 

Ans.  Never  heard  of  it.  Never  knew 
the  pair  to  fling  slippers  at  each  other's 
283 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

heads.  His  manners  were  rather  rough,  and 
possibly  he  may  have  said  "  Hold  your  jaw." 
He  certainly  was  not  incompetent,  or  witness 
would  not  have  recommended  him  for  pro- 
motion. 

Pres.  It  is  said  that  Frau  Ey  often 
fetched  her  husband  home  from  the  ale-house 
when  he  was  tipsy,  to  the  amusement  of  the 
people  about.     Was  he  often  in  this  condition  ? 

Ans.    No  ;    he  was  only  exhilarated. 

Pres.  It  is  said  that  the  relation  between 
Lieutenant  Koch  (Leimann  in  the  novel) 
and  his  wife  was  very  bad.  What  do  you 
know  of  the  criminal  intimacy  of  this  woman 
and  Lieutenant  Witte  (Borgert)  ? 

Ans.     Officially  I  know  nothing. 

Pres.  What  do  you  know  of  Lieutenant 
Koch's  attempt  to  induce  Captain  Bandel 
to  embezzle  money  from  the  squadron 
funds  ? 

Ans.  The  matter  has  been  settled  by  the 
Court  of  Honour,  and  Captain  Bandel  exon- 
erated. I  know  that  many  notes  were  in 
circulation  endorsed  by  Koch  and  Witte  for 
each  other,  and  to  the  value  of  many  thousand 
marks. 

Pres.     Have  these  notes  ever  been  paid  ? 

Ans.    No. 

284 


APPENDIX 


Pres.  Is  it  true  that  Koch  is  away  on 
leave  ? 

Ans.  Yes.  He  has  sent  in  his  papers 
and  they  have  been  accepted. 

Pres.  Are  the  descriptions  in  the  book  of 
Koch  and  Witte  accurate  ? 

Ans.    Quite. 

Captain  Ey  (Stark)  stationed  at  Forbach 
for  seven  years.  Never  ill-treated  his  wife. 
She  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  his 
regiment,  nor  has  she  any  influence  on  the 
Major.  The  description  of  the  inspection  of 
the  stables  is  not  accurate.  His  wife  is  much 
interested  in  horses.  Is  greatly  annoyed  at 
the  description  of  Captain  Stark,  which  was 
undoubtedly  intended  for  him.  Takes  his 
evening  drink,  of  course,  but  his  voice  is 
hoarse  only  as  the  result  of  shouting 
orders.  The  musical  evening  is  very  accur- 
ately described  in  the  novel. 

Pres.  In  one  passage  it  is  said  you  were 
quite  drunk  at  the  White  Swan,  and  that 
your  wife  came,  made  a  scene,  and  took  you 
home  amid  general  hilarity. 

Ans.  It  is  true  that  my  wife  came  several 
times  to  fetch  me,  but  not  in  the  way 
described  in  the  novel. 

285 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Captain  Bandel  (Konig),  aged  41,  in 
Forbach  since  1891.  Is  suspected  of  having 
helped  to  write  the  book  of  Bilse,  the  more 
so  as  he  has  been  suspended  from  service 
since  January  ist.  Bandel  acknowledges 
being  very  intimate  with  Bilse.  Knew 
nothing  about  the  book  until  it  was  published. 
Had  often  talked  with  Bilse  about  the  scan- 
dals of  the  frontier  garrison  Hfe  as  described 
in  the  newspapers.  Did  not  beheve  Bilse 
had  any  intention  of  harming  his  comrades. 
Found  him  one  of  the  few  men  in  the  service 
who  never  speaks  ill  of  his  brother  officers. 

Pres.  What  do  you  know  about  the  duel 
with  Pharmacist  Dreesen  and  the  relation 
between  Major  Fuchs  and  Frau  Ey  ?  Is  it 
true  that  he  tried  to  shield  himself  behind 
her  skirts  ? 

Ans.  Is  it  necessary  to  go  into  that  ? 
Everybody  knows  about  it.  I  remember 
one  day  Frau  Ey  came  to  me  and  said  with 
tears  in  her  eyes,  "  There  was  nothing  else 
for  me  to  do.  I  couldn't  let  the  apothecary 
kill  father  Fuchs,  so  I  sacrificed  myself  for 
him.''  Dreesen  is  an  expert  shot.  Later, 
when  we  were  again  permitted  to  go  to  the 
Dreesens',  and  the  Major  became  very 
devoted  to  Frau  Ey,  I  felt  that  something 
286 


APPENDIX 


was  up.  Lieutenant  Witte  (Borgert)  told  us 
one  day  that  he  overheard  the  Major  say  to 
Frau  Ey,  "  Do  not  worry.  I  shall  not  drop 
you "  ;  to  which  she  replied,  "  You  had 
better  not,  or  I  shall  scratch  your  eyes 
out !  " 

Pres.  It  is  said  in  the  book  that  his 
superiors  had  noticed  the  incompetency  of 
Captain  Stark  (Ey),  and  that  Oberst  von 
Kronan  (Major  Fuchs)  refers  to  this  in  his 
interview  with  Frau  Stark  (Frau  Ey)  ? 

Ans.  I  heard  that  the  commandant  from 
Strasbourg  was  severe  in  his  censure  on  the 
condition   of   the   stable. 

Pres.  Do  you  know  if  Major  Fuchs 
made  Frau  Ey's  complaints  the  subject  of 
remark  at  a  service  conference  ? 

Ans.  Yes.  It  was  about  the  use  of 
dancing-spurs  and  the  hand-kiss  Lieutenant 
Bilse  refused  to  give. 

Pres.  What  about  Frau  Ey's  use  of 
troop-horses  ? 

Ans.  She  drove  two  and  rode  one. 
Once,  when  I  mounted  my  little  boy  on  a 
troop-horse,  I  was  reprimanded  for  disobey- 
ing orders,  while  Frau  Ey  used  the  troop- 
horses  every  day  with  the  consent  of  the 
commanding  officer. 

287 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 


Pres.  What  are  your  relations  with 
Lieutenants    Koch    and    Witte  ? 

Ans.  We  were  once  quite  friendly,  but 
since  a  certain  time  we  are  on  very  bad  terms. 

Pres,  You  are  supposed  to  have  been 
asked  by  these  two  to  make  an  illegal  use  of 
the  squadron  funds  for  their  benefit,  and 
when  you  refused  they  denounced  you  as 
having  once  made  such  an  attempt  ?  You 
were  then  called  before  the  Court  of  Honour 
and  suspended  from  service  ? 

Ans.  It  was  proved  that  I  never  made 
such  an  attempt,  but  I  pretended  to,  to  show 
them  the  difficulty  and  danger,  and  so 
prevent    any    further    attempts    at    borrowing. 

Pres.  According  to  the  novel  the  inquiry 
took  a  long  time  ? 

Ans.  I  have  been  suspended  from  service 
since  last  January.  I  wished  to  send  in  my 
resignation  in  March,  but  could  not  because 
this  matter  was  not  settled. 

Pres.  Was  yours  the  only  case  before  the 
Court  of  Honour  ? 

Ans.  No ;  there  were  new  scandals  every 
week,  and  ample  material. 

Pres.  Do  you  know  anything  of  the 
pecuniary  circumstances  of  Lieutenants  Koch 
and  Witte  ? 

288 


APPENDIX 


Ans.  Their  circumstances  were  very  bad, 
and  they  were  deeply  in  debt. 

Pres.  Do  you  know  that  Lieutenant 
Witte  was  suspected  of  criminal  intimacy 
with  Frau   Koch  ? 

Ans.    Yes. 

Pres.  Do  you  believe  that  all  can  recog- 
nise themselves  in  the  characters  of  this 
book  ? 

Ans.     Only  such  as  have  a  bad  conscience. 

Pres.  What  about  the  incident  in  the 
novel  relating  to  the  ill-treatment  of  a 
soldier-servant    (Rose)    by    Borgert    (Witte)  ? 

Ans.     Had  heard  of  such  an  affair. 

Pres.  What  "do  you  know  of  Lieutenant 
Witte 's  endeavours  to  suppress  the  story  ? 

Ans.  Remember  it  was  ordered  that  this 
man's  mother,  who  Uved  in  Forbach  and 
who  took  officers  to  lodge,  should  have  no 
more  sent  to  her,  but  Lieutenant  Witte,  in 
spite  of  this,  induced  a  newly-arrived  officer 
to  take  up  his  lodgings  there,  for  the  reason 
that  the  woman  had  threatened  to  report 
him    (Lieutenant    Witte). 

Pres.  It  is  also  said  that  Lieutenant 
Habenicht  (Specht)  reported  a  sentry  falsely 
for   sleeping   at   his   post  ? 

Ans.     Of   this    I    know   nothing. 

289  U 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Questioned  as  to  whether  he  believed 
the  denunciation  against  him  oi  dishonestly 
using  the  squadron  funds,  and  oi  which  the 
Court  of  Honour  had  acquitted  him,  had 
emanated  from  Lieutenants  Koch  and  Witte, 
witness  declared  it  must  have,  for  as  soon  as 
he  refused  to  lend  these  two  any  more  money, 
he  was  denounced,  and  this  action  was  begun 
against  him. 

The  hearing  of  the  witnesses  Koch  and 
Witte  followed,  but,  at  the  request  of  the 
members  of  the  Court  Martial,  it  was  con- 
ducted in  camera  in  the  interest  of  moraUty 
and  disciphne. 

First  Lieutenant  Habenicht  recognised 
himself  in  the  character  of  Lieutenant  Specht 
because  of  a  circumstance  in  the  novel 
relating  to  a  notice  posted  regarding  the 
forage-master,  Sergeant  Schmitz,  who  dis- 
obeyed the  commands  of  Sergeant-Ma  j  or 
Roth,  which  notice  was  nearly  identical  with 
one  he  had  himself  posted.  Witness  further 
said  on  being  questioned  as  to  why  he  was 
transferred  to  Forbach,  that  he  had  never 
considered  his  transference  as  a  punishment ; 
on  the  contrary,  he  was  at  the  same  time 
promoted  to  be  First  Lieutenant. 
290 


APPENDIX 


Pres.  It  is  said  you  went  in  full  uniform 
to  the  train  to  meet  your  mistress,  and  that 
she  carried  provisions  for  which  she  had 
paid? 

Ans.  I  acknowledge  my  intimacy  with 
such  a  person,  Uke  the  rest  of  my  comrades, 
but  I  never  went  to  meet  her  in  uniform.  I 
protest  against  this. 

Pres.  What  do  you  know  of  the  criminal 
intimacy  between  Frau  Koch  and  Lieutenant 
Witte  ? 

Ans.  I  only  know  that  they  were  on 
friendly  terms. 

The  next  witness  was  Lieutenant  Block 
(Kolberg).  The  request  of  the  counsel  for 
the  prosecution  that  this  witness  should  also 
be  heard  in  camera  in  the  interest  of  public 
moraUty,  was  refused. 

Pres.  What  were  your  relations  with 
Frau  Erdler  (Kahle)  ?  Did  you  know  she 
was  divorced  ? 

Ans.     Yes. 

Pres.  In  the  book  we  are  told  that  you 
were  on  the  most  intimate  terms  with  her, 
that  she  came  to  see  you  in  your  room,  and 
that  your  orderly  had  made  very  compro- 
mising discoveries  there.  That  when  Frau 
291  u  2 


LIFE   IN   A  GARRISON   TOWN 

Erdler  was  staying  at  Lieutenant  Lindner's 
she  received  a  note  from  you  appointing  a 
meeting  ? 

Ans.  I  did  write  to  Frau  Erdler,  but  I 
was  never  her  lover.  The  matter  was  sub- 
mitted to  the  Court  of  Honour.  Her  hus- 
band and  I  fought  a  duel,  for  which  I  am 
at  present  undergoing  six  months'  imprison- 
ment. 

Pres.  Do  you  know  why  Frau  Erdler 
was  divorced  ? 

Ans.  Not  exactly,  but  I  know  she  lost 
her  case. 

Pres.  It  is  said  that  after  Captain  Erdler 
was  transferred  to  Spandau  you  sent  a  very 
compromising  letter  to  Frau  Erdler,  who  was 
then  the  guest   of  Lieutenant   Lindner  ? 

Ans.  It  is  true  I  did  write  a  letter  to 
Frau  Erdler  and  asked  her  to  meet  me. 
We  took  a  walk  together  and  got  lost,  and 
returned  four  hours  later  than  we  intended. 

Pres.  You  were  a  witness  in  the  divorce 
case  and  denied  any  intimacy  ? 

Ans.     Yes. 

Pres.  Later  you  fought  a  duel  with 
Captain  Erdler  ? 

Ans.     Yes,  in  Spandau. 

Pres.     After  which  you  were  punished  ? 
292 


APPENDIX 


Ans.  Yes,  I  was  dismissed  from  the 
service,  but,  on  an  appeal  for  mercy,  was 
instead  only  punished  with  a  reprimand. 

Pres.  Do  you  know  if  the  divorce  was 
granted  because  of  your  testimony  ? 

Ans.    No. 

First  Lieutenant  Lindner  recognised  him- 
self as  Weil  in  the  novel. 

Pres.  Are  the  circumstances  true,  as  there 
described,  of  Frau  Erdler's  presence  in  your 
house  ? 

Ans.  Yes,  we  were  very  intimate  with 
the  Erdlers.  He  was  a  fine  man,  and  she 
seemed  a  most  honourable  woman,  from 
whom  I  never  heard  an  improper  word  nor 
suspected  of  an  improper  action.  On  the 
contrary,  she  became  very  intimate  with  us 
at  the  time  the  scandal  about  Lieutenant 
Witte  and  Frau  Koch  was  made  public,  and 
she  was  most  indignant  about  it.  Indeed 
she  told  my  wife  that  with  the  exception  of 
her  no  one  was  left  in  the  regiment  with 
whom  she  cared  to  associate.  She  was  a 
delicate  woman  and  had  some  heart  trouble. 
When  her  husband  was  transferred  to 
Spandau,  she  begged  my  wife  to  let  her  stay 
with  us  until  the  moving  was  over.  During 
the  last  days  of  her  visit  she  changed  very 
293 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

much  and  became  very  excitable.  One  day 
she  received  a  letter,  read  it,  tore  it  up,  and 
threw  the  pieces  into  the  fireplace.  She 
explained  that  she  was  invited  that  afternoon 
to  Frau  Goeben's.  She  went  out,  and  as 
late  at  night  she  had  not  returned,  my 
wife  became  very  anxious,  so  I  sent  my 
orderly  to  the  Goebens'  to  see  her  home. 
He  did  not  find  her  there,  nor,  it  seems,  had 
she  been  invited.  Upon  which  I  sent  him 
to  Major  Fuchs  to  find  out  if  she  was  there, 
and  she  was  not.  At  eleven  o'clock  we 
heard  her  creep  into  her  room.  My  wife 
had  in  the  meantime  picked  up  the  torn 
letter  out  of  the  fireplace.  It  said :  "  My 
treasure,  I  am  waiting  for  you  at  the  usual 
place."  I  was  furious  to  find  how  this 
woman  had  abused  our  hospitality.  I  at 
once  went  to  Major  Fuchs  with  the  letter,  as 
it  was  my  duty  to  do  under  such  circum- 
stances. He  said  :  "  I  do  not  want  to  know 
what  is  in  the  letter.  Turn  the  woman 
out  of  doors.  She  has  ceased  to  be  the 
wife  of  an  officer."  In  the  morning  when 
Frau  Erdler  came  down  I  requested  her  to 
leave  my  house.  I  have  never  seen  her  since. 
Pres.  Did  Lieutenant  Bilse  know  of  this 
event  and  the  letter  ? 

294 


APPENDIX 


Ans.  Yes.  Lieutenant  Witte  (Borgert)  read 
the  letter  to  the  officers  in  the  casino. 

Counsel  for  the  defence.  I  should  like  to  ask 
witness  a  question  as  to  the  reputation  of 
the  Koch- Witte  family. 

Ans.  It  is  easily  described  by  a  couplet 
circulated  amongst  the  officers  : 

"  In  Hause  Koch  und  Witte 
Da  herrscht  Zucht  nnd  Sitte." 

In  the  house  of  Koch  and  Witte 
Modesty  reigns  and  chastity. 

Pres.  What  do  you  know  of  the  relation 
of  Frau  Koch  and  Lieutenant  Witte  from 
personal  experience  ? 

Ans.  Have  seen  them  meet  in  a  cul-de- 
sac  behind  my  house  in  the  evening,  evidently 
by  appointment.  Their  intimacy  was  very 
conspicuous.  Have  seen  her  take  a  rose 
from  her  corsage,  kiss  it,  and  make  signals 
with  it  to  Lieutenant  Witte.  The  casino 
steward  told  me  certain  very  compromising 
incidents  concerning  them.  Possibly  the 
relationship  between  the  two  was  correct  at 
first,  but  was  suspected  when  they  were  seen 
constantly  together  at  Saarbriick,  where  they 
were  the  talk  of  the  town. 

Counsel  for  the  prosecution  (to  the  accused). 
295 


LIFE   IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

Do  you  affirm  your  description  of  this  affair  to 
be  only  the  work  of  your  imagination  ? 

Ans.  I  repeat  that  I  knew  something  of 
these  circumstances  and  I  considered  them 
of  sufficient  interest  to  use  them  as  a  back- 
ground for  my  story. 

First  Lieutenant  Koch  (Leimann)  bitterly 
blames  Lieutenant  Lindner  for  telling  such 
unfounded  scandal  about  his  wife,  who  was 
now  dead. 

(This  was  followed  by  a  \dolent  altercation 
between  the  two  officers.) 

Pres.  Witness  has  sworn  to  tell  the  whole 
truth. 

Adjutant  Schmidt  recognises  himself  in  the 
novel  as  Adjutant  Miiller. 

Pres.     By  what  description  ? 

Ans.     My  big  appetite.     (Laughter.) 

Pres.  You  are  accused  of  always  being  ready 
for  a  fight  when  drunk  ? 

Ans.  Acknowledge  being  irritable  when 
drunk,  but  not  ready  to  come  to  blows. 

Pres.  You  are  said,  when  drunk,  to  have 
reported  a  sentry  without  any  reason,  who 
got  fourteen  days'  arrest  in  consequence,  or  is 
that  imaginary  ? 

Ans.     I  never  reported  a  sentry. 
296 


APPENDIX 


Testimony  of  non-commissioned   officers. 

Lehmann,  described  in  the  novel  as  Ser- 
geant-Ma j  or  Roth,  who  on  occasion  of  his 
birthday  got  drunk  in  company  of  Sergeant 
Apel  (Schmitz)  and  confessed  to  him  with 
disgraceful  frankness  that  he  had  a  way  of 
keeping  their  wages  from  reservists  and  of 
squeezing  money  out  of  rich  one-year  volun- 
teers. He  complained  that  he  had  been 
described  as  a  perjurer,  a  scoundrel,  and  a 
thief,  and  when  he  went  to  Saarbriick 
recently  people  jeered  at  him  and  avoided 
him. 

Counsel  for  defence.  Lieutenant  Bilse  denies 
that  he  meant  to  describe  you. 

Ans.  Three  things  convince  me  that  I 
am  meant — the  sergeant-major,  the  picture 
of  Bismarck  in  my  house  which  I  bought 
from  the  Herr  Lieutenant  for  fifteen  marks 
(laughter),  and  also  the  sofa  on  which  we  sit 
in  the  novel,  which  I  also  bought  from  him 
for  forty  marks. 

Accused.  It  is  true  that  this  man  bought 
these  articles  from  me.  At  that  time  I  went 
away  on  leave  and  these  non-commissioned 
officers  pestered  me  to  sell  them  my  furniture. 
This  man  came  among  others.  I  asked  him 
first  how  much  he  wished  to  give,  and  sold 
297 


LIFE  IN  A  GARRISON  TOWN 

the  things  to  him  at  a  price  much  below 
their  value. 

Pres.  (to  Lehmann).  Did  you  punish  the 
blacksmith  Apel  (Schmitz)  for  disobeying 
orders,  and  is  it  true  that  after  having  caroused 
with  Sergeant  Apel  you  reported  him  because 
of  some  trouble  in  the  stable  and  that  he  was 
sentenced  to  six  weeks'  and  one  day's  arrest 
in  consequence  ? 

Ans.     Yes. 

Pres.  Did  the  attack  on  New  Year's  Eve 
take  place  as  described  in  the  book  ? 

Ans.    No  ;   that  is  imaginary. 

The  next  witness  was  ex- Sergeant  Apel 
(Schmitz),  employed  now  in  a  factory  at 
Burbach.  Recognised  himself  in  the  novel 
as  the  blacksmith  Schmitz.  The  incidents 
in  the  book  are  correct.  He  was  punished 
by  six  weeks'  arrest  and  one  day's  solitary 
confinement  for  disobedience.  At  the  end 
of  his  sentence  he  was  refused  reinstatement, 
and  also  his  sick  pension  money.  He  ener- 
getically denied  that,  according  to  the  novel, 
he  had  become  a  socialist.  He  could  have, 
had  he  wished,  but  he  had  remained  faithful 
to  his  king. 

The     deliberation     of     the     Court     Martial 
298 


APPENDIX 


lasted  two  hours,  and  then  the  following 
Verdict  was  announced  : 

*'  The  accused,  Lieutenant  Oswald  Bilse, 
is  judged  guilty  of  having  libelled  his 
superior  officers  and  others  higher  in  rank 
than  himself,  in  a  manner  which  has  resulted 
in  serious  consequences  to  them.  Further,  he 
has  disobeyed  a  stringent  military  order, 
namely,  the  Imperial  regulation  regarding 
the  literary  activity  of  persons  in  military 
service.  He  is  therefore  condemned  to  six 
months'  imprisonment  and  to  be  dismissed 
from  the  service.  Furthermore,  the  novel, 
'  Aus  einer  kleinen  Garnison  '  ('  Life  in  a 
Garrison  Town'),  which  contains  said  libels, 
shall  be  withdrawn  from  circulation,  and  the 
plates  and  forms  shall  be  destroyed." 

The  judgment  added  that  the  serious  con- 
sequences to  the  officers  libelled  consist  in 
their  being  made  ridiculous  in  the  eyes  of 
their  troops  as  well  as  of  civilians,  and  that 
they  have  been  injured  both  in  their  reputa- 
tion and  their  usefulness.  In  considering 
the  sentence  it  should  be  said  on  behalf  of 
the  accused  that  the  book,  which  is  no 
ordinary  pamphlet,  contains  matters  of  un- 
deniable value,  in  particular  the  account  of 
the  intimate  life  in  frontier  garrison  towns, 
299 


LIFE  IN  A   GARRISON  TOWN 

the  debts  contracted  by  officers,  the  remarks 
on  duelling,  life  in  penal  garrisons,  and  trans- 
ference as  a  method  of  punishment. 

At  the  close  of  the  proceedings  the  accused, 
accompanied  by  an  infantry  officer,  was  taken 
back  to  the  mihtary  hospital,  as  he  was, 
because  of  ill-health,  under  medical  super- 
vision. On  leaving  the  Court-room  many 
officers   and  civilians  shook  his  hand. 

So  greatly  was  Germany  stirred  by  the 
pubhcation  of  Lieutenant  Bilse's  novel,  so 
manifestly  serious  were  its  revelations,  that 
the  book  with  its  terrible  indictments  was 
finally  brought  before  the  Reichstag,  where, 
in  the  presence  of  the  German  Parliament, 
the  Minister  of  War  himself  regretfully 
admitted  the  truth  of  almost  all  its  state- 
ments. 

And  yet  Lieutenant  Bilse,  who  has  done 
his  country  a  service  which '  can  hardly  be 
over-estimated  in  its  vital  importance,  is  still 
in  prison  at  Strasbourg. 

The  sequel  to  the  court-martial  of  Lieutenant 
Bilse  was  officially    announced  in  the  Militdr- 
Wochenblatt,    Berlin,    on    December    30th.      It 
300 


APPENDIX 


affects  five  of  the  officers  playing  a  part  in 
Lieutenant  Bilse's  book  : 

"  Major  Fuchs,  Commander  of  Transport, 
Battalion  i6,  stationed  at  Forbach,  has  been 
allowed  to  resign,  with  permission  to  wear  the 
uniform  of  the  12th  Uhlan  Regiment,  and 
with  legal  pension. 

"  Captain  Bandel,  allowed  to  resign  with 
legal  pension. 

"  Captain  Ey,  retired  on  half -pay,  with 
legal  pension,  and  appointed  district  officer  at 
Gnesen. 

"  Lieutenant  Koch,  retired  on  half -pay  with 
legal  pension. 

"  Lieutenant  Habenicht,  retired  on  half -pay 
with  legal  pension." 


301 


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